How Far We've Come
by DaggersOfEmotion
Summary: The war becomes more and more real as it hits home, causing our close-knit characters to split up. As stories of the past unravel, chaos ensues and escalates to a crescendo. When that fatal moment comes, a sacrifice has to be made- but will it be in vain?
1. Photographs and Memories

_Love is stronger than death even though it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, love is stronger than death._

The two men appeared out of thin air, a few yards apart in the narrow, moonlit lane. For a moment they stood still, wands directed at each other's chests. Upon recognizing each other, they lowered their weapons and turned briskly to walk to the same predetermined location.

Wordlessly, they approached the large wrought-iron gate and, without breaking their step, passed through it as if it were made of smoke. The exquisite manor grew out of the darkness at the end of the straight path, lights glinting from the diamond-paned windows downstairs. The gravel crackled beneath their feet as they strode to the front door, which swung inward without a single touch.

The hallway was dark and sumptuously decorated with a rich carpet covering a stretch of the marble flooring. The eyes of the pale-faced portraits followed the two men as they came to stop at a large heavy wooden door leading to the next room. They hesitated for nearly a moment before Alaric turned the bronze handle.

The drawing room was full of silence as well as people as they sat frigid at a long polished table. The only source of warmth came from the roaring fire at the end of the hall. Alaric sat down in the chair to the right of the head, his gaze not leaving Snape's as he sat.

As Snape's eyes grew accustomed to the lack of lighting, he began to see the details of the human forms in the chairs. Snape broke eye contact to peer at a figure floating above the table. His attention was pulled down to the head of the table when the Dark Lord began speaking.

"Ah, Severus, we were worried you had… lost your way"

/

Harry's POV

I struggled to my bedroom, holding my bleeding hand with my left one. It was stupid, pointless, and just plain irritating that I still have four days until I can perform magic… but I have to admit, the jagged cut on my finger would have defeated me. I had never learned how to repair wounds and, now that I think of it, in light of my immediate plans, it seemed to be a serious flaw in my magical education. _I'll have to ask Jenny to teach me_, I thought as I ran my hands under the tap, washing away the blood.

I had spent the morning cleaning out my trunk, which I had, until this point, only switched out the top half of every year to replace clothes and such. The bottom was full of debris, such as old quills or beetle's eyes. Only minutes ago, I had plunged my hand into it to grab something from the bottom, when I felt a stabbing pain in my finger and pulled it out to see a lot of blood. Now that I had cleaned up, I proceeded a bit more cautiously.

I pulled out an old button that flicked from SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY to POTTER STINKS, a cracked Sneakoscope, and the fake locket inside which a note from R.A.B. was hidden. Finally, I found the blade that had done the damage- a fragment of the enchanted mirror that Sirius gave me. I laid it aside and felt around for the other pieces, but they were broken into tiny pieces, a mere powder layering the base of the trunk. I put the shard on top of my Daily Prophet and continued emptying my trunk in an attempt to avoid stirring up feelings of regret and guilt.

I sorted everything into two piles. One pile contained my school and Quidditch robes, my cauldron, parchment, and quills- the pile to be left behind. The other pile, one with muggle clothing, the invisibility cloak, the photo album Hagrid gave me years ago, a stack of letters, my wand, and Jenny's journal. She'd given it to me just over a year ago when we'd parted for the summer. It was filled with things I had never thought of: her poems, her songs, her thoughts- her _feelings_.

I repacked these essential items into my rucksack, a much more versatile travelling bag. I reached out, only to find a particular article: Albus Dumbledore Remembered, by Elphias Dodge. I picked it up, flipping open to a random page- my eyes widened at what was written inside. I was surprised to find I knew almost nothing about his past. It made me wish immediately that I had taken more time to know who he truly was before he died. I wish I'd gotten to know Sirius better, too. I'd known him half the time I'd known Dumbledore. What else have I been kept in the dark about? Did everyone have to die in order for me to find out more about them?

/

Jenny's POV

"I'm coming, too!" my face curled in frustration as Mr. Weasley, Ron, and the twins gathered together, making sure I wasn't close to them. Mrs. Weasley dropped the pan she was washing and scurried over to hold my arms comfortingly, but also to make sure I didn't try to jump at the last moment.

"Jenny, dear, you know why you can't go," she comforted, trying to get me to calm down again. The last time I'd been angry was when I found out why I couldn't go. If I left the house, I'd be without its protection. I'm "too important" to be put at risk. I'm still underage, and therefore i'd be a loose cannon in the mission: the Ministry could track me- _Voldemort_ could track me.

"I don't trust him, Mrs. Weasley," I spoke, even though I had no intent of going. Once I was reminded that I would be putting everyone in danger, I stood down. However, that didn't make me feel any more comfortable about letting Mundungas take part in this. "He's not committed and everyone knows it!"

"We don't have any other choice… Mad-eye is sure he will do as he is told"

Was I to speak against Mad-eye?

I looked up at the four of them, all ready to risk their lives for Harry. No- this was bigger than that. They were risking their lives for me, for Ginny, for Mrs. Weasley- for everyone. I ran forward, giving Mr. Weasley a big hug.

"Hey, it'll be alright!" Ron said in attempt to comfort me.

"Yeah, nothing to worry about, Jenny" Fred said, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"If a couple of death eaters show up, we'll just take a swing at 'em and send 'em flying!" George said, taking a mock beater's bat and swinging it at George's arm. He pretended to be hurt, and managed to squeeze a laugh out of me.

"Alright you half-wits- get a move on! Harry's waiting for you," I managed a grin. Upon seeing my smile, they closed their circle and disappeared from sight. I found my grin fading as a knot formed in my stomach, presaging something dark in the near future.

I turned on my heel and marched toward the fireplace.

"Where are you going?" Mrs. Weasley asked worriedly, following me across the room.

"I'm going to Meghan's. I need to see him when he arrives. I have to make sure he's safe. I won't leave the house, I promise," I said, assuring her of my safety as I threw a fistful of floo powder into the flames.

I stepped out of the fireplace and kicked the ashes from my feet before stepping onto the carpet. I looked around, taking in the scene. I had never been to Meghan's house, and had never put much thought into what it would look like. It was cleaner than the Weasleys', no competition there, but it wasn't organized by any means. I walked along the wall, viewing the porcelain vases and paintings along it. Most were asleep or absent from their portraits, none of them taking much notice to my presence. I found myself in the kitchen and followed my feet to the sink. In attempt to control my uneasiness, I busied myself with dishes- lots and lots of dishes.

"You've washed that plate twice already," Meghan said, striding toward me. I jumped a little, but I hardly stopped scrubbing.

"I can't help it. I've got this feeling, Meghan. It won't go away. Not until they're back," I said, buffing the plate until it showed my concerned reflection. I frowned, noticing with distaste that my hair was frazzled about and my face creased with worry.

"Put the plate down and sit," she said with a mother's command in her voice. I set the plate in the cupboard and sat down on a cushioned chair. She pulled my hair behind my shoulders and began stroking it with a silver-handled brush. The soft caress of the brush bristles soothed me, bringing back memories of my mother.

_I sat down in the wicker chair mom had woven from the willow tree in our backyard. It was the beautiful work of an angel with nimble fingers of gold. She gathered my golden locks and brushed in long gentle strokes as her voice melted into a song. _

_Your baby blues _

_So full of wonder _

_Your curly cues _

_Your contagious smile _

_And as I watch _

_You start to grow up _

_All I can do is hold you tight _

_Knowing clouds will rage_

_And storms will race in _

_But you will be safe in my arms _

_Rains will pour down _

_Waves will crash all around _

_But you will be safe in my arms _

_Storybooks full of fairy tales _

_Of kings and queens and the bluest skies _

_My heart is torn just in knowing _

_You'll someday see the truth from lies _

_Knowing clouds will rage_

_And storms will race in _

_But you will be safe in my arms _

_Rains will pour down _

_Waves will crash all around _

_But you will be safe in my arms _

_Castles they might crumble _

_Dreams may not come true _

_But you are never all alone _

_Because I will always _

_Always love you _

"That's a lovely song," Meghan said, reminding me of her presence.

I opened my eyes, confused, "Sorry?"

"You were singing," she said, humming the tune I recognized from my childhood.

"It was a song my mother used to sing to me when she brushed my hair… or when I was sad…" I looked down, the memory of her bright smile caressing my mind's eye. No… it was the smile in one of Sirius' photos of her, not from a memory of mine. "Meghan… I'm afraid I'm forgetting her"

"That's nonsense. She's your mum," she said as I pulled out a photo I had taken from Sirius' chest. She had that same brilliant smile I had remembered. If only it had been from my own memory and not someone else's.

"What was she like?"

"Oh, she was brilliant. She had a sharp wit, sharp tongue, strong mind, and a delicate touch. She was a healer, you know, your mum. Like a green thumb for gardening, she had a golden touch for healing. If it weren't for her, I would have never met Remus"

"He said I have her heart," I said tenderly, my eyes growing moist at the memory.

"_Sirius, did you, by any chance, know my parents?" _

"_Ah," he stopped and fished around in his robes for a few moments, before pulling out a piece of parchment. _

"_What's this?" I unfolded it to see a picture of maybe thirty people. _

"_This is the original Order of the Phoenix. That's Karen, right there," he pointed at a thin woman with large brown curls, "and right there is your mum" _

"_She's beautiful," I ran my fingers over the page, "I wish I was more like her"_

"_You are like your mother. So much," he smiled at me, as if he was reminiscing a memory with her. _

"_How?" I looked down at her, the face of an angel gazing back at me. _

"_Michelle had more heart than anyone I knew"_

"_Knew?" _

_He smiled, "you have your mother's heart"_

_I felt like crying. Sirius had given me the most important information I had about my mom. Being told I was so much like her was like being compared to the person you idolize the most, only, better. Much better. _

That was two years ago, he said that. Not long before he died. This past Christmas, Lupin had said nearly the same thing.

"_It was Greyback who bit me."_

"_When you were a child?" I asked softly, with such a delicate subject. _

"_Yes, my father had offended him. For the longest time I thought a man with no control of his condition bit me. I even felt pity, knowing by then how it felt to transform. But Greyback isn't like that- he plans his attacks. Positions himself closely enough to ensure that he can strike. And this is the man whom Voldemort has leading the werewolves. I can't exactly pretend __that my particular brand of reasoned argument is making much headway against Greyback's insistence that we werewolves deserve blood. That we ought to revenge ourselves on normal people-" _

"_But you are normal! You just-" _

"_Just have a condition? Sirius was right, Jenny. You have your mother's heart," he smiled thoughtfully, as if remembering some sobering memory. _

"Michelle was there for Remus when no one else was…" she said, as if a recollection of memories had only just surfaced. Suddenly, the brushing stopped and she froze. "There! All finished. Not a single stray hair or knot," she said, setting the brush down on the table. I ran my thumb over the old photo, trying to remember more, but struggling.

"You're so much like your mother. Your hair is the same- forever glowing in the moonlight… Come on, I have something to show you," she said, walking toward the hall. I folded the photo and put it in my pocket, following quickly behind her.


	2. Plans Unravel

Meghan walked to the end of the hall and took a small key out, opening a door I hadn't seen before. She pushed the door open and crossed her arms as if a chill had swept over her. I followed her into the room to find piles of random objects around the four walls of the room. There were old mirrors, boxes, trinkets, books, odd-shaped cases, and chests. She paid no mind to any of these things, but kept walking until she reached a painting on the far wall. My eyes were curious and wandering, but that all changed when I saw who was in the painting.

"I can wake her, if you want," she said gently.

"No…" I dismissed her offer. I contemplated for a long time, not moving from my spot. She looked so… at peace in her sleep. I couldn't bear to intervene. The last time I had seen her- _really_ seen her- was when she was-

"There are so many things I want to tell you about your mother… about me…" Meghan said, her voice breaking. She paused before continuing, "I'm pregnant, Jenny"

"What? That's great!" I exclaimed as I hugged her.

"I wanted you to be the first to know," she beamed, "and Harry, I really want-"

Just then, there was a great crash outside and we both jumped.

"Hagrid? Hagrid- talk to me!" I heard a shout from outside. I knew at once it was Harry and bolted from the room, paying no mind to my bare feet or my promise to Mrs. Weasley as I ran out of the house.

"Harry? Harry!" I called as I approached him. He was crawling, bleeding, and trying to stir a great dark mass lying in the muddy water. "Meghan! They've crashed in the garden!" I said, kneeling beside Harry as he fell into a sea of unconsciousness. I held his head up so he didn't fall under the surface. I wrapped my arm around him and held him with both arms. I turned my head to Hagrid, who seemed to be breathing, but definitely knocked out.

"I have to get Harry inside!"

"Alright, then I'll get Hagrid-" she turned to face him and, in realizing just how large he was, reached for her wand. My forehead creased as I struggled with how to carry him, I could tell that his arm and ribs were hurt. I half-dragged him inside and lay him on the couch as carefully as possible.

"Help me get Hagrid in here!" Meghan shouted as she tried to levitate him through the door. I ran to help her make a space for Hagrid in the next room and was horrified at his appearance now that we were in good lighting.

"I'll go get wet towels," Meghan said, running off to the bathroom.

"I'll go tend to Harry," I said, running off to the living room. I kneeled beside the couch, pulling my wand out from my pocket. I began muttering spells to clean him up so I could see his wounds properly. I pulled his sleeve up to expose his arm before mending it. His mouth was hanging slightly open, and I could see one of his teeth was missing. I didn't exactly know how to grow it back, but I took mental note of it so as to ask Meghan to do so. I peeled back Harry's soiled shirt to see that the skin over his chest was purple over his ribs, so I healed his bones until they were back in place. He would still be in pain, but at least he was in one piece.

"Here you go, Jenny," Meghan said, placing a rolled up damp hand towel over Harry's forehead.

"Thank you… he should be alright. Do you know, by any chance, how to regrow teeth?"

"Of course," she said, accepting, and pulled out her wand to cast the spell.

"Thanks," I said, taking the towel and dabbing at his cheeks.

"I'm going to tend to Hagrid. He looked like he fell from the sky," she said, with a lot less humor in her voice than I expected from such a statement. "Harry's in good hands"

_Could that have been what happened? Had they crashed the bike? Or had they been under attack? _

"Hagrid?" Harry mumbled- I froze at his voice.

"Jenny," I said, correcting him as he opened his eyes. "Hagrid's in the other room with Meghan. He'll be alright, Harry," I said as he shot into a sitting position. He had sat up too quickly and got a head rush, the towel from his forehead falling onto his lap.

"Voldemort-"

"Careful, now," I said, reaching to steady him. "I healed your ribs and arm. Your tooth is back as well. You'll be fine… what happened, anyway?"

"Death Eaters- loads of them- we were ambushed-"

"They knew?" my eyes widened as I spoke in a harsh whisper. I looked up at the ceiling, as if I were staring through it and into the sky. "Well, the protective charms must have worked. They shouldn't be able to get near the house-"

/

Harry's POV

"Harry!" Hagrid bellowed, barging into the room, knocking a lamp and a table over in the process. He lifted me from the couch and embraced me in a bone-crushing hug.

"Hagrid- careful! I've only just repaired his ribs!"

"Sorry, Jenny, it's just- I thought we were both goners!" he said, setting me down. As soon as I was on my feet, Jenny wrapped her arms around me and held tight.

"What was that you just said about my ribs?" I cracked a smile and wrapped my arms around her.

"Oh, hush," she said, burying her face into my chest, as if she would never let go- and I didn't want her to.

"What of the others? Did you see anything?" She burst, suddenly. I felt her body stiffen in my arms before she pulled back enough to look at me, "is anyone…"

A mixture of fear and guilt gripped me at the sight of her expression; if anyone had died, it would be my fault- entirely my fault. I had consented to the plan, given them my hair…

"The Burrow. We've got to get to the Burrow and find out"

/

Jenny's POV

"Wait! What about Hedwig?" I asked, noticing she wasn't with him. All he had was his now soggy rucksack.

"She… she got hit," he said, ashamed as tears stung his eyes. I took his hand in mine, lacing my fingers with his in what was, I hoped, a comforting gesture. I knew how close he was to Hedwig- closer than Ebony and I, and just the thought of it makes me sick to my stomach.

"Hagrid!" Meghan shouted as the portkey began to glow, anticipating departure. He grabbed a hold of it the last moment before it pulled out.

My feet slammed on the grass in our backyard and the portkey flew out of sight. Screaming quickly filled my ears and, instinctively, I jumped to my feet with my wand.

"Harry? You're the real Harry? What happened? Where are the others?" Mrs. Weasley cried.

"Of course he's the real Harry- I'm with him! And what do you mean, where are the others?" I asked hectically, my mind reeling as I lowered my wand.

"You mean- isn't anyone else back?" Harry panted.

The answer was clear in Mrs. Weasley's pale expression. I felt a sickening tug in my stomach, but it wasn't from the portkey, it was from knowing that they could be dead. Ron, Hermione, Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, Lupin, Tonks, Mad-eye, _everyone_!

"The Death Eaters were waiting for us," Harry told her, "we were surrounded the moment we took off, they knew, somehow, I don't know what happened to anyone else, four of them chased us, it was all we could do to get away, then Voldemort caught up with us-"

"Thank goodness you're alright," she said, pulling him into a hug.

"Y' haven't go' any brandy, do yeh, Molly?" Hagrid asked, his voice shaking, "fer medicinal purposes, o' course." Mrs. Weasley went inside, turning her face from us as she walked away.

"Ron and Tonks should have been back first, but they missed their portkey… it came back without them," Ginny said, looking from Harry to me, "Dad and Fred were supposed to be second," her voice quivered, "you and Hagrid were third and-" she checked her watch, "if they made it, George and Lupin should be back in about a minute"

Mrs. Weasley reappeared with a bottle of brandy, her face showing signs of having been crying not moments ago. Hagrid drank it straight down in one.

"Mum!" Ginny shouted, pointing to a blue light growing stronger in the darkness. It grew larger and brighter as Lupin and George appeared, spinning and then falling. I knew immediately that something was wrong, as Lupin was supporting George, who was unconscious and whose face was covered in blood.


	3. Silent Vigil

Harry's POV

I ran forward at once and grabbed George's legs. Together, Lupin and I carried him into the house and onto the sofa. As the light fell across George's head, Jenny gasped and my stomach lurched; one of his ears was missing. The side of his head and neck was drenched in wet, shockingly scarlet blood.

Jenny's face looked as if it were turning a light shade of green when, all of the sudden, Lupin grabbed me by the arm and dragged me into the kitchen.

"Hey! What are you doing? Let go of him!" Jenny shouted indignantly as I was dragged away.

"What creature sat in the corner the first time Harry Potter visited my office at Hogwarts?" he said, giving me a small shake, "Answer me!"

"A- grindylow!" Lupin released me and fell against the kitchen cupboard.

"Sorry Harry, but I had to check. Voldemort knew you were being moved tonight and the only people who could have told him were directly involved in the plan. You might have been an imposter"

"No one in the order would have told Voldemort," I said, the thought dreadful to me- utterly unbelievable that any of them would betray me. "Voldemort didn't know which one I was in the beginning, and only caught up with me at the end. If he'd been in on the plan, he would've known from the start that I was with Hagrid"

"Voldemort caught up with you?" he asked sharply, "What happened? How did you escape?"

I explained briefly how the Death Eaters pursued us and seemed to recognize me as the true Harry, how they dropped back and called Voldemort, who caught up with them just before they reached the sanctuary of Meghan's house.

"How did they know it was you?"

"I…" I tried to remember. It was all a blur and panic and confusion right now. "I saw Stan Shunpike, you know, the conductor on the Knight Bus? I tried to disarm him instead of… well, he was imperiused! I couldn't-"

Lupin looked aghast.

"Harry, the time for disarming is in the past! These people are trying to _kill_ you!"

"Expelliarmus saved me from him two years ago!" I added defiantly.

"Yes, Harry," he said with painful restraint, "and a great number of death eaters saw it! Under immediate threat of death, it was a very unusual move then, but repeating it tonight in front of those same death eaters was close to suicidal!"

"So you think I should have killed Stan Shunpike?" I argued.

"Of course not! But the death eaters- frankly- most people would expect you to attack back! Expelliarmus is a useful spell, but the death eaters seem to think it's your signature move! I urge you not to let it become so!"

/

Jenny's POV

I kneeled next to Mrs. Weasley, who didn't seem to be in the right condition to cast any healing charms, and examined George's ear. It was horrible- his ear was cut straight off. Even worse, I think I recognized the spell that was used on him. I swallowed hard, slowly pulling my wand from my pocket and lowering it to his ear.

"_Vulnera Sanentur… Vulnera Sanentur… Vulnera Sanentur…" _

"What kind of spell is that?" Ginny asked in awe as his blood returned to his body and his ear began to heal. I would later realize that I hadn't responded, but at the moment I was grieved over the fact that his ear wasn't growing back. The spell didn't completely fix him.

I looked up when I realized Harry had come back and was now staring at me. In one look, I realized that he understood everything. _If Snape had cast it even an inch to the side, George would be dead. _

"Will George be okay?" Lupin asked gently.

I nodded, "but there's no chance of replacing his ear- not when it's been cursed off-"

There was suddenly noise coming from outside and Lupin dove for the back door with Harry hot on his tail. I jumped to my feet and followed them outside to see who had returned.

Hermione and Kingsley appeared in the yard, and she flung herself in Harry's arms. I pulled up next to him and as soon as I stopped she hooked her arm around me in an embrace.

"Hermione!" I exclaimed gratefully- she had made it back alive-

"The last words Albus Dumbledore said to the pair of us!" Kingsley shouted, his wand directed at Lupin.

"Harry is the best hope we have. Trust him."

Just then, Kingsley turned his wand at Harry. I felt my eyes widen as Hermione, Harry, and I all stepped back as one in alarm.

"It's him! I've checked!" Lupin exclaimed.

"Well _someone_ betrayed us!" Kingsley stowed away his wand, "who else is back?"

"Only us and Hagrid… and George"

Hermione covered her mouth with her hand when she saw my expression.

"What's happened to George?"

"He lost an ear," Lupin said.

"Lost an-" Hermione failed to finish.

"Snape," I said, my eyes lifting from my feet to meet thunderstruck faces. "He must have been there- I know it was his Sectumsempra that did it"

The words sunk in like a stone in the black lake. I felt horrible saying it, but keeping it to myself wouldn't make it any less true.

"I wish I could say I'd paid him back in kind," Lupin broke the silence, "but it was all I could do to keep George on the broom after he was hit"

We fell silent again. I looked up, hoping to spot everyone flying in on broomsticks, but all that stared back were the stars. Where were they? Where were Fred and Mr. Weasley? Bill and Fleur? Mad-eye and Mundungus?

I ran my hands up my arms and turned to go back inside. George seemed to be coming to, so I hurried to be by his side.

"I'll prove who I am, Kingsley, after I've seen my son, now back off if you know what's good for you!" Mr. Weasley shouted from outside. It was a rare thing, to hear Mr. Weasley shout in such a threatening way- shout in any sense, really. I turned and saw Fred and him walk in, pale but uninjured.

"Arthur! Thank goodness!" Mrs. Weasley leapt to hug him.

"How is he?" Mr. Weasley asked me, dropping to his knees. Fred stood there, his mouth agape, staring at his twin as if he could not believe what he was seeing.

"Why don't you ask him?" I replied as he started to open his eyes.

"Georgie, how are you?" Mrs. Weasley whispered.

"Saintlike," he murmured.

"What's wrong with him?" Fred croaked, horrified.

"Saintlike," George turned his head to look at his twin, "you see… I'm holey. _Holey_. Get it, Fred?"

Fred's face seemed to be restored to its natural color at this, "Of all ear-related humor, you choose _holey_? That's pathetic."

"Ah, well, you'll be able to tell us apart now, Mum," he said before looking around, "Harry- you alright?"

"Yeah," Harry said, moving closer to the sofa.

"Well at least we got you back. This'd all be for nothing if you weren't safe… Why aren't Bill and Ron huddled around my sickbed?"

"They aren't back yet," Mrs. Weasley said. George's grin faded. Harry motioned for me to follow him outside, so I slowly stood and left the scene. I needed a bit of fresh air, anyway.

I followed him outside, finding the fresh night air inviting. If only we could run away from everything. We'd take off down the dirt path and never come back.

But we'd never be happy. Not while knowing we'd left everyone in this mess.

I sighed, knowing he was probably thinking the same thing. Only, it was different for him. To him, _he_ was the catalyst of disaster for his friends. Wherever he went, disaster followed.

I looked over him, a look of pure fear cast upon his moonlit face. I reached for his hand and ran my thumb comfortingly along the back of it as we stared up at the sky in silent vigil.

The minutes stretched into what might have been years. The slightest breath of wind made me jump and turn toward a shivering bush in the hope one of the missing Order members might leap from behind it.

"There! There!" I screamed, a broom materializing above us and streaking for the ground. Just before it collided, its nose turned upward and they landed with a skid, sending earth and pebbles everywhere. I bolted forward, jumping to hug Ron as he staggered off the broom.

"Ron!" Hermione's worried voice called out from behind me. I quickly stepped aside as to avoid being squished in-between them. Instead, I went to help Tonks up, who seemed to be a bit wobbly in the legs.

"Brilliant- just brilliant he was. Stunned one of the death eaters straight in the head- I'd be dead without him," she said warmly.

"Really?" Hermione looked up at Ron, her arms still around his neck. I went to stand beside them, smiling at their reunion.

"Always the tone of surprise," he said a little grumpily, but he smiled all the same. Just them, Harry swept forward and wrapped his arms around all three of us, or, he tried to. It brought tears to my eyes, knowing that all of us were here and safe.

"Are we the last back?" Ron asked, suddenly.

"No," my smile faded, "we're still waiting for Bill and fleur and Mad-eye and Mundungus." I stepped back before continuing, "I'll go let them know you're back."

As I walked, Tonks joined me.

"So what kept you? You were delayed quite a bit," I asked.

"Bellatrix. She wants me quite as much as she wants Harry. I just wish I got her- I owe her. But then we missed our Portkey-"

Once we were inside, everyone greeted Tonks and she told her story as Ron, Hermione, and Harry came back in the house.

"Kingsley had to go back," Hermione noted aloud, so no one would worry. An even greater welcome came when Ron strode in, as Mrs. Weasley seemed to explode with joy at his safe arrival.

"What's wrong with George?" Ron asked.

"He's lost an ear, but Jenny made sure he'd be alright. It won't come back; but-" she stopped short at the cry of a theastral from outside. Bill and Fleur slid off its back, unharmed, as we rushed out to greet them. "Bill! Oh, thank-"

He hardly lifted his arms when she hugged him, an instant sign that something was wrong.

He looked his father dead in the eye and said, "Mad-eye's dead."

No one spoke- no one took a single breath. I felt as if something inside of me had fallen, fallen into a dark abyss, never to return or give a concluding _thump_ as it hit the bottom.

"We saw it," said Bill, "Voldemort- he can fly- followed them. Mundungus panicked. Mad-eye tried to stop him, but he disapparated-. Voldemort's curse hit Mad-eye dead in the face- he fell backward off his broom- there was nothing we could do- we had nearly a dozen of them on our tail-" his voice broke.

Then it hit me- it was my fault.


	4. Firewhiskey

Harry's POV

At last it seemed to dawn on everyone, though no one said it, that he was gone. There wouldn't even be a body, after he'd fallen from so high, over some undefined location, out in an area swarming with death eaters.

Suddenly, Jenny turned away and marched into the house. In silence, we followed suit, each step seeming to weigh more with each step. As we walked into the living room, we came upon the twins, laughter still in their eyes, but dimming quickly.

"What's wrong? Why's Jenny crying?" Fred asked, "who's-"

"Mad-eye's dead"

No one seemed to know what to do. After a moment, Hermione stepped forward and ran after Jenny. Tonks had started crying silently, she had been close to Moody; his favorite student. Hagrid sat down in the corner, dabbing his eyes with his tablecloth-sized handkerchief.

/

Jenny's POV

I swung the door to my room shut as I flew onto my bed. Mad-eye was dead and it was entirely my fault. If only I had gone instead of Mundungus- if only I'd been a few days older- none of this would have happened. Mad-eye was _dead_.

I felt a weight sinking the side of the bed as someone sat down. I didn't want comfort- I didn't want solace- I wanted to let the guilt weigh me down until I sank into the abyss.

"You can't blame yourself," Hermione's soft voice cooed as she placed her hand on my back.

"But I can!" I turned to face her. "If I had gone-"

"-you'd be dead," she finished, her jaw set. "Mad-eye was hit because Mundungus disapparated, a spell intended for him hit Mad-eye instead. If you had been there, it would have hit you, you would have fallen, and you would have died."

Her words cut me like knives. I had never heard her speak so harshly, especially not to me. I opened my mouth to speak, but she wasn't going to stop now.

"If you say one word- if you even _think_ about wishing you had been there in his place-" she closed her mouth, unable to continue.

/

Harry's POV

"Eet still does not explain 'how zey knew we were moving 'arry tonight, does it? Someone must 'ave been careless- let ze date slip- zat is ze only explanation for zem knowing the date but not ze plan," Fleur glared at them all, trails from tears still lingering on her beautiful face, silently daring anyone to contradict her. I saw the blazing determination in her eyes, the same as Jenny's.

"No," I exclaimed, earning many surprised stared. The firewhiskey we had just toasted to Mad-eye with must have amplified my voice. The whole house was silent except for the absent echo from my proclamation. "I mean- if someone made a mistake and let something slip, I know they didn't mean to do it. It's not their fault," I repeated, raising my voice a little, "we've got to trust each other. I trust all of you, I don't believe for one second that any of you would ever sell me to Voldemort"

The silence lasted for what seemed like minutes. They were all looking at me, each of them thinking to themselves, not realizing that their gazes pressed down on me. I drank more of my firewhiskey, thinking of how Mad-eye was always been headstrong about Dumbledore's willingness to trust people.

As I downed the rest of my glass, I looked at Lupin, who was wearing an odd expression as he looked at me.

"You think I'm a fool?" I demanded.

"No, I think you're like James. He believed it was the height of dishonor to mistrust his friends"

I clenched my teeth and headed outside. I wanted to go somewhere where they couldn't follow- where they couldn't try to talk to me. I didn't want to talk- not now. I rubbed my forehead- it hadn't hurt this much in a long time. Maybe the firewhiskey would set and dull the pain.

As I walked through the threshold, the cool night air swept over me and helped me relax. I crossed the dark yard, the silhouette of a great skeletal theastral looking up at me, rustling its large bat-like wings, and returned to grazing. I stopped by the gate to the garden, staring out at its overgrown plants, and rubbed my forehead, thinking of Dumbledore.

If Dumbledore were here, he would know why my wand had acted on its own accord- he always had the answers. But now, like Mad-eye, Sirius, my parents, Hedwig- he was gone.

Out of nowhere, the slowly numbing pain in my scar peaked. I clutched my forehead and closed my eyes, a voice screaming in my head.

"_You told me the problem would be solved by using another's wand!"_

"_No! I beg you-"_

"_You lied to Lord Voldemort, Ollivander! You sought to help Potter, to help him escape me!"_

"_I swear I did not- I believed a different wand would work-"_

"_Explain, then, why Lucius' wand was destroyed!"_

"_I can't understand- the connection- it exists only between your wands-"_

"_Lies!" _

"_No- please! I beg you—"_

"Harry?"

/

Jenny's POV

I closed my eyes and listened to the soft breathing of the theastral, the wind in the trees, animals scuttling through the grass. Goosebumps raced up my arms, bringing about a cold chill that wouldn't fade. I understood her, Hermione, but that didn't shake the feeling of guilt.

As I opened my eyes, I spotted Harry not too far from me. _I bet he's feeling quite the same, right now…_

As I walked closer, I realized he was clutching his forehead in agony. Something was wrong.

"Harry?"

His eyes opened suddenly, a cool relief overcoming him, still shaking. A moment later, he realized I was there.

"Jenny! Why are you here?"

"Trying to rid myself of the guilt, I suppose," I said, turning to lean on the fence.

"Why would you-"

"Mad-eye's dead because Mundungus disapparated in battle. I should have been there, if I were only a few weeks older-"

"No. It's my fault. Everything- you're all in danger while I'm here. I don't want-"

"But Harry, the whole point of this was to make you safe. If you're thinking of leaving- it would all be in vain!"

"If Voldemort finds out I'm here-"

"Oh, please! There are dozens of places you could be right now, Harry. He won't find out you're here-"

"_It's not me I'm worried for!" _

We stood in silence for a long time.

"If something does happen, Harry" I spoke carefully, "before I'm of age," I continued, knowing this might start him up again, "I want you to get yourself out. No- let me finish," I said as he tried to argue. "If it comes down to it, I won't be able to come. I've still got the trace on me. That's how all this bloody mess came to happen- why Mad-eye's dead. I can't let you face the same fate"

He didn't respond for some time, and I was beginning to think he'd made up his mind. But that's not what came out of his mouth next.

"Ollivander- I saw him. Voldemort was threatening him, saying he had tricked him. Ollivander had told him that a different wand would solve the problem with being able to kill me, but it hadn't."

"What? Don't tell me you've- _Harry_, it's supposed to have stopped! Dumbledore wanted you to close your mind!" When he didn't reply, I grabbed his arm, "Harry- he's taken over half the wizarding world! Don't let him inside your head, too!"

/

"Time to wake up, dears," Mrs. Weasley said, kissing me on the forehead. My eyes opened and focused as she made her way to Ginny and Hermione's beds to wake them. I yawned, taking my time to sit up. Today's another day full of guilt over Mad-eye, determined questioning by Mrs. Weasley about our secret quest, and the sinking feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

It had started with Mr. Weasley and Lupin, the questions, but they stopped once we told them that Dumbledore told us not to tell anyone. Mrs. Weasley was the hardest, though, for she thought it was absolutely criminal to abandon our education for something unbeknownst to her.

I dragged my feet to the closet, pulling on a silk button-up shirt that smoothed over my skin like a cool stream over stones smoothed down by the years. I knew I was probably missing breakfast right now, but Hermione didn't seem to care, either, as she stayed behind after Ginny went down.

"I've modified my parents' memories so they're convinced their names are Wendell and Monica Wilkins, their life's ambition is to travel to Australia, and the thought of children has never even crossed their mind"

"What?" I asked as I turned around.

"It'll make it more difficult for Voldemort to track them down and interrogate them about us because, unfortunately, I've told them quite a bit about you and Harry."

Her eyes were already swimming with tears before I had a chance to hug her, but she nodded, assuring me that she was alright. "We've got to head down to breakfast. Can't leave the boys alone down there for too long, can we?"

"No, I suppose not," I said as we turned to head for the kitchen, "Hermione… if something happens before I'm of age, I want you to promise me you'll get Harry out of here"

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," she said in agreement, "I promise I'll do whatever it takes, Jenny. Have you said anything to him?"

"Yes… but I feel as if I've only made him more determined to fight it, if it were to happen"


	5. Prep Talk

Harry's POV

Mrs. Weasley had been avidly working to separate the four of us, once she realized none of us were budging about leaving Hogwarts. She'd just sent me to muck out the chicken coop, when I found Mr. Weasley standing outside to stop me.

"There's not much to do, here. No need to mention it to Molly, but, er, I'm hiding- that is to say- keeping the pieces of Sirius' bike in here. Fantastic stuff! I'm going to try to put it all back again once Molly isn't- I mean- when I've got time"

When I returned to the house, Mrs. Weasley was nowhere in sight, so I slipped up to Ron's room, where he was fulfilling his job of tidying up for the wedding guests.

"I'm doing it, I'm doing- Oh! Harry, it's you," he seemed relieved that I was not his mother. Ron lay back down on the bed, where he had evidently just been resting on. The room was just as messy as it had been all week; the only change was that Jenny and Hermione were sitting in the corner, sorting books into piles.

"Hi Harry," Hermione greeted, accompanied by a grateful smile from Jenny, as I sat down on my bed.

"How did you manage to get away?" I asked.

"Mrs. Weasley's forgotten that she had me change the sheets yesterday, and Hermione's job was no trouble at all, since she can use magic," Jenny said, her casual statement laced with bitterness.

"We were just talking about Mad-eye," Ron said, "I reckon he might have survived"

"But Bill saw him hit by the Killing Curse," I said.

"Yeah, but he was under attack, too. How can he be sure of what he saw?"

"Even so, he fell a thousand feet," said Hermione.

"He could have used a shield charm-"

"Fleur said his wand was blasted out of his hand," I said.

"Well alright, if you want him to be dead," Ron grumbled. Jenny slammed a book down on one of the piles.

"Of course not! We're just being realistic!" Hermione exclaimed, shocked at the accusation.

"The death eaters probably tidied themselves up, that's why no one's found his body"

"Yeah," Harry said, "like they did with Barty Crouch. They probably transfigured Moody and stuffed him-"

"Don't!" Jenny shouted, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Oh- no-" I bounded off of the bed and wrapped my arms around her. "Jenny, I'm so sorry- I didn't mean to-"

"It's awful, isn't it? Right after Dumbledore… I never imagined him dying- he always seemed so tough!" Hermione said, bursting into tears. In the blink of an eye, Ron leapt off the bed and offered her a handkerchief.

"Constant vigilance," Jenny said, fighting her tears. "That's what he'd say if he were here right now"

"He'd tell us to learn from what's happened to him," Ron nodded.

"All I've learned is to not trust that cowardly little squit, Mundungus," I said, not without spite. Jenny gave a shaky laugh and held my arms as I wrapped them around her.

"What are you doing with all these books anyway?" Ron asked, suddenly clapping a hand to his forehead, "Oh, of course, I forgot we'll be hunting down Voldemort in a mobile library!"

"Ha ha," Hermione said, adding _Hogwarts, A History_ to the pile.

"Listen," I said, causing them all to stop, "I know you said you wanted to come with me-"

"Here he goes," I could almost sense Jenny rolled her eyes.

"As we knew he would," Hermione sighed, continuing with what she was doing.

I frowned, angry that they were dismissing me when I was so determined to make them listen.

"Listen!" I persisted.

"No, Harry, _you_ listen," Hermione said, "We're coming with you. We've known for months, years, really, that we would"

"But-"

"Shut up," Ron advised me.

"Are you sure?"

"Let's see," Hermione said with a crease on her brow as she decided where to put another book, "Jenny and I have been packing for days, planning for months, smuggled Mad-eye's whole stock of Polyjuice Potion- and I've even modified my parent's memories. That way Voldemort can't come after them for information about you because, frankly, I've told them quite a bit," she continued defiantly, "Assuming I survive our hunt for Horcruxes, I'll find Mum and Dad and put them right. If I don't- well, I think I've given them a happy life as Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins. You see, they don't know they ever had a daughter-" she started crying again.

"I'm sorry- Hermione- I didn't-"

"Didn't realize that we know perfectly well what might happen if we come with you? What we're giving up? _Well, we do_."

"You're not getting rid of us that easy, mate" Ron said, just as determined as Hermione. Instinctively, I looked down at Jenny, which didn't help, because she looked as if she might punch me if I even thought of trying to talk her out of it.

Through the silence came the muffled sounds of Mrs. Weasley shouting from the floors below. Ginny probably left a speck of dust somewhere.

"I don't understand why they have to come two days early," Ron said.

"Gabrielle is a bridesmaid, she needs to be here for the rehearsal and she's too young to come on her own. Now that I think of it, I haven't told you guys, have I?" Jenny said.

"Told us what?" Hermione asked, confused that there might be something she hadn't discussed with her best friend.

"I'm a bridesmaid"

"Really?" Ron asked.

"You don't have to act all that surprised," Jenny said sarcastically. "Besides, it's no big deal. What we've really got to decide, is where to go first once we leave. Hermione and I have loads of places that we've decided are good choices"

"I know you want to go to Godric's Hollow first," she said, looking at Jenny and I, "and I understand why-"

"Wait- you want to go there first, too, Jenny?" I asked, curious as to why. Surely she wasn't just siding with me to appease me.

"It's where my mother's buried… I never really understood why," she said, her voice distant as if she were thinking of something.

"I think Horcruxes should be our priority-"

"Look- if we knew where any of the Horcruxes were, then I'd agree with you," I said, not believing that Hermione could understand his desire to go there. Not only were his parents, and Jenny's mum, buried there, but I also have a strong feeling that it holds answers for me.

"Harry, I have a feeling Voldemort might expect you to go there," Hermione added.

This hadn't occurred to me. It was a place of great importance to both Voldemort and I.

"This R.A.B. person," Ron spoke, "he said he was going to destroy it, right?"

"_I have stolen the real Horcrux and intent to destroy it as soon as I can_," Jenny recited.

"Well, what if he _did_ already?"

"Or she," Hermione slid in.

"Whichever," Ron dismissed, "it'd be one less for us to off!"

"But how are we going to know? We have to be certain. We have to find it-" Jenny reasoned.

"-And then what? _How_ are we going to destroy it?" I asked, "I don't suppose you have a book on Horcruxes from the library?"

"Well, Dumbledore removed them all- but he didn't destroy them"

Ron sat up straight, wide-eyed.

"It- it wasn't stealing!" Hermione squeaked, her face going pink. "They were still library books-"

"Anyway, we used _accio_ and they sped off of his shelves and into the girl's dorms," Jenny finished, cutting off Hermione's rambling.

"When did you do this?" I asked with a feeling of admiration.

"Just after Dumbledore's funeral. We were packing our things when we realized he might have information on them that we might need, so we packed them"

Hermione gulped, "He wouldn't be angry, would he? It's not like we were going to make a Horcrux"

"Do you see us complaining?" Ron said, admiration showing in his eyes. "Where are they, anyway?"

She pulled out a black book and held it out, her face showing signs of nausea, as if just touching it made her detest herself. "This one has specific instruction on how to make a Horcrux. It's horrible- just terrible- full of evil magic."

"That's probably why Dumbledore removed it, because Voldemort got all of his instruction from there. It talked all about how unstable it made you- splitting your soul. And he did it _six times_!"

"Is there any way to put yourself back together?" Ron asked.

"Yes, but it's excruciatingly painful and highly unlikely- and I can't imagine it being possible at all for Voldemort"

"Why? How do you do it?" I asked.

"Remorse- you've got to feel what you've done- the pain of it destroying you once and for all. I can't imagine Voldemort even attempting that"

"Does it say how to destroy them?"

"There are very few ways, from what I've read. All of them extremely dangerous- that's a problem we're going to have to solve, though. It's got to be damaged beyond magical repair"

"But why couldn't the soul just jump into something else?"

"Because a Horcrux is the opposite of a human being," she explained, "If I were to run you through with a sword, right now, Ron, your soul wouldn't be damaged at all"

"How comforting"

Jenny and I laughed at this.

"My point is- your soul would be untouched, no matter what happens to your body- but it's the other way around with Horcruxes. It needs its container to exist"

"Like when I stabbed the diary- with the basalisk fang. I wonder how Dumbledore destroyed the ring"

Jenny shifted uncomfortably, causing us to turn our attention to her.

"Do you know how, Jenny?"

"I- yes. Dumbledore told me not to tell you, especially you, Harry-"

"If you know, you've got to tell us, Jenny" Hermione said.

"Well, I guess... in light of what's happened, he'd want me to tell you," she took a breath. "I destroyed the Horcrux-" my eyes widened, "with Godric Gryffindor's sword"

"Of course! It makes sense!" Hermione exclaimed, "It was crafted by Goblins- it only takes in what makes it stronger-"

"When I stabbed the basilisk-"

"-It retained the venom!" Hermione finished excitedly.

The mood was shattered when the bedroom door flew open with a wall-shaking crash. Hermione shrieked, dropping the _Secrets of the Darkest Art_. Ron jumped up, skidded on a candy wrapper, and smacked his head on the wall as he fell. I jumped from Harry's arms, as he instinctively dove for his wand. I reached for something to throw before realizing that it was Mrs. Weasley, not a death eater, at the door. Her hair was disheveled and her face was distorted with rage as her eyes bore down on us.

"Sorry to break up this cozy little gathering," her entire expression reminding me of a teakettle left on the stove until it was about to burst, "but there are wedding presents that need sorting and I was under the impression that you had agreed to help"

"Right! Of course," Hermione jumped to her feet, terrified, sending books flying in all directions. Mrs. Weasley's eyes moved to mine, and I quickly followed Hermione out of the room without a word to Ron or Harry.


	6. The Delacours

The Delacours arrived the following morning, and Hermione and I spent nearly an hour tidying myself to look as prim and proper as possible. I immediately regretted wearing my silk top yesterday, because I seemed to be at a loss for fancy clothing today.

"Hermione, I haven't anything to wear!"

"What about the sweater Fleur gave you? That'd be a nice gesture"

I hadn't thought of that.

I searched through my clothes until I found the scarlet sweater. I imagine it would look even better on me now than before. I slid it on and scurried to the bathroom to look in the mirror.

"You look amazing," Hermione said, stepping into the reflection with me. "I reckon I'd look good too, if it wasn't for my stupid hair"

"Want me to fix it for you? I've done it before, I think it worked nicely"

"But I haven't any gel!"

"Actually…" I opened my pouch and quickly cast _accio_. A case of Sleekeasy Hair Potion shot out and landed in her hands.

"It's nearly empty… we should save it for the wedding," she said, as if she were a child who had hesitantly decided to save her lollipop for later.

"Alright… Well, at least let me try. I think I've got a way to tame it somewhat…" I said, rummaging for a brush from the drawer. I motioned for her to turn around and ran the bristles under the tap before brushing her hair. I went on like this for a few minutes until her hair was reasonable. It was only half as bushy as before, and looked more controlled on the top layer. "It darkens your shade a bit, seeing as your hair is wet, but I reckon it's a bit better"

"It is, thanks!" she smiled, turning to me, "want me to do yours? Not that you need it- your hair is perfect"

"Oh, well, I guess you can brush it or something- sure"

A manic grin spread across her face as she grabbed the curling iron.

"Nothing extravagant, 'Mione! It's not the wedding day, they're just arriving!"

"Oh, no, nothing like that. Just adding a couple curls on the outer layer"

Not three minutes later, the boys barged in.

"Oi, we got to brush our teeth," Ron said, rubbing his eyes. Hermione's jaw dropped at their appearances.

"Ronald! Have you looked in the mirror yet?"

"Uh, no… you're in the way," he answered, as if it were obvious. She huffed and set the curler down, storming out of the bathroom. I sidestepped Ron and followed her out, nearly running into Harry in the process.

"Oh! Harry!" I stopped short to avoid hitting him.

"Jenny!" his eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Hi- er- good morning! That sweater-"

"The one Fleur gave me last year, yeah," I nodded, tugging at the sleeve. "Hermione thought it'd be a nice gesture- and I reckon it still fits-"

"It- it looks good," he nodded, wearing that same expression as when he first saw me. I smiled at the memory, giving him a kiss that was, regrettably, cut short when Mrs. Weasley called us down.

"We'll finish this later," I promised, quickly tidying his hair before taking his hand and hurrying downstairs.

/

Harry's POV

Because of the protective enchantments over the Burrow, the Delacours couldn't apparate near the house, so Mr. Weasley had to go to the top of the hill to guide them back. It was apparent that they had arrived, for we could hear his giddy laughter as he approached the gate. He came bearing luggage, leading a beautiful blonde woman in long leaf-green robes, who could only be Fleur's mother.

"Mama! Papa!" Fleur cried, racing to hug them.

Monsieur Delacour was nowhere near as attractive as his wife; he was short, plump, and was beginning to bald. However, he looked like a good-natured man, as he walked with a spring in his step and a welcoming smile on his face.

"Dear Molly," Monsieur Delacour exclaimed, holding her hand between his, "We are honored at the approaching union of our too families! This is my wife, Appoline"

Madame Delacour strode forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek, "_Enchantee_," she smiled, "your 'usband 'as been telling us the most amusing stories!"

Mr. Weasley gave a deranged laugh, but when Mrs. Weasley shot him a look, he immediately silenced dismally.

"And, of course, my little princess, Gabrielle!"

Gabrielle was a shrunk-down version of Fleur, with the same long shimmering blonde hair down to her waist that seemed to float behind her as she ran to hug Mrs. Weasley, then Jenny, who seemed a bit taken aback by the enthusiasm in the gesture.

"_Allaient avoir autant d'amusement!_" She exclaimed, beaming up at Jenny. I hadn't caught a word of it.

"Come in! Come in!" Mrs. Weasley ushered them in, a bright smile on her face. It turns out that the Delacours were humble and pleasant guests, thankful and eager to help with the wedding plans. While Madame and Monsieur Delacour were busy with setup, Gabrielle seemed to be adamant about following Jenny and I _everywhere_. Most of the time, she was jabbering on in French.

Thankfully, Jenny had offered to sing a song, which she was elated to hear. We walked hand in hand, watching Gabrielle skip circles around us happily, as she sang.

_I can feel the magic floating in the air _

_Being with you gets me that way _

_I watch the sunlight dance across your face and I've _

_Never been this swept away_

_All my thoughts seem to settle on the breeze _

_When I'm lying wrapped up in your arms _

_The whole world just fades away _

_The only thing I hear _

_Is the beating of your heart_

_Cause I can feel you breathe _

_It's washing over me Suddenly I'm melting into you _

_There's nothing left to prove _

_Baby all we need is just to be _

_Caught up in the touch _

_The slow and steady rush _

_Baby, isn't that the way that love's supposed to be _

_I can feel you breathe _

_Just breathe_

_In a way I know my heart is waking up _

_As all the walls come tumbling down _

_I'm closer than I've ever felt before _

_And I know _

_And you know _

_There's no need for words right now_

_Cause I can feel you breathe _

_It's washing over me _

_Suddenly I'm melting into you _

_There's nothing left to prove _

_Baby all we need is just to be _

_Caught up in the touch _

_The slow and steady rush _

_Baby, isn't that the way that love's supposed to be _

_I can feel you breathe _

_Just breathe_

_I can feel the magic floating in the air _

_Being with you gets me that way_

"You wrote that song for Harry! Oh, it's _so_ romantic!" Gabrielle spun around, smiling at the sky, as if it were agreeing with her. "When did you know?"

"Er- know what?" I asked tentatively, wondering if her sudden switch to English was a good thing or not.

"That you were in love with Jenny"

I was thankful I wasn't drinking anything when she asked that or I'm afraid I would have choked. Where on earth did this girl get her questions? Had she been asking Jenny things like this the whole time?

Thankfully, Jenny saved me from my inevitably embarrassing answer, and raised her own question.

"Why are you so curious, Gabrielle?"

"Because _I'm_ doing a study!" she said smartly, straightening her posture.

"A study? What for?"

"To find out about _my_ true love, of course!"

"And what have you got so far?"

"It's too soon to say," she said coyly.

The Burrow was not built to accommodate so many people, which took part in why Jenny and I were now walking around the garden, well, as far in as we could while remaining in the barrier.

"There you are, dears! You'd better stay inside while the Millamants Magic Marquees are here. I must say it does complicate organizing the wedding, having all of this security around"

"I'm sorry," I said humbly.

"Oh, don't be silly!" she exclaimed at once, "I didn't mean- well, your safety's much more important! Actually, I've been waiting to see how you wanted to celebrate your birthday, Harry. Seventeen, after all, it's a rather important day…"

"I don't want a fuss," I replied quickly, not wanting to add any more strain on them all. "Really, just a normal dinner is fine. It's the day before the wedding, after all"

"Well, if you're sure, dear… I'll invite Hagrid, Remus, and Meghan. How's that?"

"That's be great," I said, "but please, don't go to loads of trouble"

"No, no trouble at all," she looked at me with a long searching look, as if she were hoping to find a tiny piece of me that was only being modest, a secret desire for a fantastic celebration. She smiled a little sadly, straightened up, and walked away. I watched as she went to hang up the damp clothes from her laundry basket, suddenly feeling a great deal of remorse for all of the pain he was causing her. I turned to look at Jenny, wondering if I would get the same from her, but was surprised to see she had a secretive smile on her face that she couldn't hide even if she had wanted to. I decided it was better not to ask, but it did make me wonder. What was she planning?


	7. Eternal Flame

"Seventeen!" Hagrid bellowed, "Six years ter the day we met, Harry, yeh remember?"

"Vaguely," Harry grinned, "didn't you bust down the door, give Dudley a pig tail, and tell me I was a wizard?"

"I forget the details," he chuckled, "Charlie, 'ey!"

"Hi Hagrid, how's it going?" Charlie said, walking over.

"Been meaning to write yer fer ages! How's Norbert doin'?"

"Norbert?" he laughed, "The Norwegian Ridgeback? We call her Norberta, now"

"Wha- Norbert's a _girl_?"

"Oh yeah"

"How can you tell?" Hermione asked.

"They're a lot more vicious," he replied, causing me to chortle.

More and more people squeezed into the overcrowded room as guests arrived. I caught Harry's eye and motioned for him to follow me. With a glance to make sure he was following, I glided into my room.

"I couldn't think of what to get you for your birthday," I said as I walked further into my room.

"You didn't have to get me anything," he replied humbly.

"It couldn't be anything big, because it wouldn't travel. Even if I did get something, it could be lost on the trip. So I decided against a more… materialistic gift. Something that can't be lost," I explained, taking a deep breath.

_Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling _

_Do you feel my heart beating, do you understand? _

_Do you feel the same? Am I only dreaming? _

_Is this burning an eternal flame? _

_I believe it's meant to be, darling _

_I watch when you are sleeping- you belong to me _

_Do you feel the same? Am I only dreaming? _

_Or is this burning an eternal flame? _

_Say my name; the sun shines through the rain _

_A whole life so lonely, and then you come and ease the pain_

_I don't want to lose this feeling_

I moved closer, taking his hand in mine and resting it over my heart, my eyes steady on his as I sang.

_Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling _

_Do you feel my heart beating, do you understand? _

_Do you feel the same? Am I only dreaming? _

_Is this burning an eternal flame?_

Then we kissed as we had never kissed before, lifting me higher than any rush I've ever felt. I ran my hands through his hair, etching each moment into my mind, not wanting for forget a second of it.

/

The door banged open behind us and they jumped apart.

"Oh," Ron said, standing in the doorway, "Sorry"

"Ron!" Hermione was just behind him, slightly out of breath and wearing an apologetic look.

"Well, happy birthday anyway, Harry," I sighed. Ron's ears were scarlet and Hermione's expression had changed to a nervous one. It didn't take me long to figure out why: Harry looked like he wanted to slam the door in their faces.

"The Minister of Magic is here," Hermione said, finally.

"What?" Harry asked, not sure he had heard her right.

"Just- um- meet us in the sitting room," she said, pulling Ron with her.

"Right, well, best not to keep him waiting," I said, sounding more composed than I felt. As soon as Hermione and Ron turned to walk away, I tugged my shirt down and smoothed my hair back, clipping it back with the turquoise hairclip Adrienne had given me for Christmas two years ago. We squeezed onto the couch, with Scrimengeour sitting in an armchair across from us.

"If you three would like to wait down the hall, I'd like to start with Ronald-"

"We're not going anywhere. You either speak to us together or not at all," Harry said relentlessly. He gave Harry a long cold look before continuing.

"I'm here on account of Dumbledore's will"

"A- all of us?" Ron said in disbelief.

"Would you say you were close to him, Ronald?"

"Me? No, not really-"

"So what is it he's left us, then?" I cut in to prevent further damage before he could dig a deeper hole.

"_The Last Will and Testament of Albus Percival_… Yes, here we are- _To Ronald Bilius Weasley, I leave my Deluminator, in hope that he will remember me when he uses it_"

Scrimengeour took out something of a large silver cigarette lighter, which Ron seemed to be fascinated by.

"That's a very valuable- even unique- object. I wonder, why would Dumbledore leave you something so rare? He must have taught thousands of students, yet he only remembered you four in his will- why is that? Why would he leave you a Deluminator, Ronald?"

"To put out lights, I suppose," he mumbled, flicking it, "what else could I do with it?"

With no retort, he moved on to Hermione, "_To Miss Hermione Jean Granger, I leave my copy of _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_ in hope that she will find it entertaining and instructive_"

Scrimengeour then pulled out an old book that looked like it had been worn before it was even on Merlin's bookshelf. Hermione handled it gingerly, holding it in her hands and gazing at it as if it were bringing back the anguish she had felt at his funeral.

"Why do you think he left you that book, Miss Granger?"

"He… he knew I liked books," she said, wiping her eyes.

"Why _that_ book?"

"I don't know- he must have thought I'd enjoy it"

"_To Harry James Potter I leave the snitch he caught in his first Quidditch match at Hogwarts, as a reminder of the rewards of perseverance and skill_"

He pulled out the walnut-sized golden snitch, handing it carefully to Harry.

"Why did he leave you this snitch?"

"No idea… probably for the reasons he stated in the will… perseverance and whatnot"

"You think it's a mere symbolic keepsake, then?"

"I suppose so- what else could it be?"

"I'm asking the questions," Scrimengeour snapped, quickly composing himself as he turned to me.

"Well? What did he leave me?" I asked curiously.

"The sword of Godric Gryffindor"

My reaction was to straighten up with happy surprise. I glanced at the others before looking back at Scrimengeour. He still hadn't moved.

"Well? Where is it?" I asked suspiciously.

"Unfortunately that sword was not Dumbledore's to give away. The sword of Godric Gryffindor is an important historical artifact, and such belongs-"

"To me!" I exclaimed, furious that he was keeping it from me.

"Whatever Dumbledore may have decided, it doesn't make it your property-"

I opened my mouth to protest, but realized all of my other retorts would involve spilling secrets I had sworn to Dumbledore I would keep.

"Why do you think-" he began, but I wouldn't let him finish.

"-Dumbledore wanted me to have it? Maybe he thought it would match my earrings!"

"Is this seriously what you spend your time doing?" Harry said, struggling to keep his temper, "Maybe you should stop wasting your time examining wills, covering up breakouts from Azkaban, and crashing parties. People are _dying_- Voldemort chased me across the country and managed to kill Moody not a month ago, but you've kept it all under wraps. You seriously expect us to cooperate with you?"

"You go too far!" Scrimengeour shouted, standing up. Harry jumped to his feet to match him. Scrimengeour jabbed him hard in the chest with the point of his wand, singeing a hold in Harry's shirt like a lit cigarette.

"Hey!" Ron jumped up, pointing his wand at Scrimengeour.

"No! You want him to have an excuse to arrest us?" I jumped up; putting my hand over Ron's to prompt him to lower it.

"Remembered you're not at school, have you? Remembered that I'm not Dumbledore, who forgave your insolent insubordination? You may wear that scar like a crown, Potter, but it's not up to a mere boy to tell me how to do my job! It's time you learned some respect!" he shouted as I slipped my hand into Harry's to make sure he didn't lash out.

"It's time you earned it."

"Perhaps now would be the time to remind you that this could be considered assault, Minister," I intervened with what I hoped was a calm tone. He looked down at Harry's shirt, then at the door as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley burst in.

"We thought we heard-" she panted, taking in the situation, "raised voices."

Scrimengeour took a few steps back, regretting his loss of temper as he realized that the odds weren't in his favor.

"You seem to think the Ministery does not desire what you- what Dumbledore- desired. We ought to be working together"

"We don't agree with your methods, Minister," Harry said, raising both his and my hands to display the white scars still clear on our hands. Scrimengeour's expression hardened as he turned away without a word. Mrs. Weasley followed him to the back door, watching before declaring, "He's gone!"

We ate dinner rather hurriedly, only to be sent to our respective rooms by Mrs. Weasley right after. That didn't mean we went to sleep, however. Hermione and I spent the next hour turning over the book, trying to figure out why Dumbledore had left it, and what The Wizard and the Hopping Pot and Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump were meant to tell us.

/

Harry's POV

Fred, George, Ron and I were now standing outside the great white marquee in the orchard, awaiting the arrival of guests. Bill and Fleur's wedding turned out to be a glorious affair. The supporting poles were entwined with white and gold flowers. Outside, butterflies and bees were hovering lazily around the bluebells adorning the entrance. I immediately thought of Jenny, as they matched her dress perfectly. She was wearing a floating sapphire blue dress with matching shoes, her hair rolling over her shoulders like a smooth river glistening in the sunlight.

"…and your hair is much too long, Ronald! For a moment I thought you were Ginevra. Merlin's beard, what is Xenophilius Lovegood wearing? He looks like an omelet," an elderly woman, who resembled a bad-tempered flamingo with her beaky nose and feathery pink hat, approached with Ron.

"You must be Aunt Muriel! I've heard so much about you. Your tiara is quite lovely," Jenny smiled brightly as she greeted them. "I'm Jenny"

"Who're you?" she barked.

"Jennifer Bennett, I live here with the Weasleys, now"

"That's right! I heard about you. Bloody American trying to leech my money- know this: you aren't going to be in my will," she looked me up and down, "and you're ankles are much too skinny. Come on, Ronald! I'm a hundred and seven! I mustn't be standing for too long! Hop to it!"

Ron gave Jenny a meaningful look before leaving with Muriel. I felt the need to say something when I saw Jenny's face fall as they turned away.

"What she said- it's not true"

"It's all right, Harry. People have been warning me about her for days. It's just that I'm not used to it- being surrounded by family like this"

"What do you mean?" I asked. She was surrounded by family all the time: Ron, Ginny, the twins, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Of course, there were tons more of them around today, but it's not like she knew them all personally.

"For years, it was just my mom and I, and then…" She trailed off, letting me fill in the blanks, "I got my Hogwarts letter, so I come to the Weasley's, meet Mrs. Weasley and Ginny and all of these amazing people and then you came along- it just seems too good to be true. I feel like it's a rug under my feet that's about to be pulled out from under me," she sighed, "and what if they don't like me? The Delacours and-"

"Of course they'll like you! What's not to like?" I blurted. She laughed at this.

"I don't know, my skinny ankles?"

Ron came to join us soon, looking relieved to be rid of Muriel.

"Sorry about her, Jenny. She's rude to everyone"

"Don't mention it," she smiled, Hermione suddenly coming into view.

"Wow," Ron gaped, "You look great!"

"Always the tone of surprise," she rolled her eyes, grinning. She was wearing a floaty lilac-colored dress, her hair unnaturally sleek and shiny. "Your Great Aunt Muriel doesn't agree. She said 'Oh dear, is this the muggleborn? Bad posture"

"Don't take it personally, she'd rude to everyone," said Ron.

"Talking about Muriel?" George walked over, "She just told me my ears are lopsided. Old bat. Wish old Uncle Bilius were still around- he was the life of the party!"

"Isn't he the one who saw a Grim and died the next day?" Jenny asked.

"Well, yeah- he went a bit odd at the end," George conceded.

"But before he went loopy, he was the life and soul of the party!" Fred said, "He used to down a bottle of Firewhiskey, run onto the dancefloor, hoist up his robes, and start pulling bunches of flowers out of his-"

"Yes, he sounds like a real charmer," Jenny cut in as I laughed.

"Never married, for some reason," said Ron.

"You amaze me," Hermione said. We were all laughing so much that I hardly noticed I needed to leave so the wedding could start.

"Shoot, I've got to get going. Don't want to keep the bride waiting!" I said and hurried off.


	8. 4ever

Harry's POV

Viktor Krum arrived shortly after Jenny had left, causing quite a stir. Hermione dropped her bag in surprise and Ron looked venomous. I decided it was best to remove him from Ron's company and lead him to his seat.

"Your friend is not pleased to see me," Krum said as we entered the now packed marquee. Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George all came hurrying down the aisle.

"Time to sit down," Fred warned, "or we're going to get run over by the bride"

We took our seats in the second row, Ron's ears scarlet and Hermione's cheeks tinted pink. Bill and Charlie stood at the front, both wearing dress robes with white roses pinned on the front. Fred wolf-whistled, causing an outburst of giggles from the veelas.

"Oooh!" Hermione said, turning in her seat to look at Fleur and Monsieur Delacour as they came down the aisle. Fleur was wearing a rather simple white dress, her hair adorned with roses, giving off a silvery glow. While her beauty usually made everyone seem dim in comparison, today it beautified everyone it fell upon. Gabrielle and Jenny looked even more beautiful than usual, and Bill looked as if he had never met Greyback.

"Yes, I must say my tiara sets the whole thing off nicely," Auntie Murial said in a carrying whisper, "but I must say, Jennifer's dress is far too low cut"

Jenny glanced around, grinning, and winked at me before quickly turning back to Fleur and Bill. My mind wandered far away from thoughts of the wedding, back to times I'd been alone with Jenny. Somehow, they seemed out of reach, as if they weren't my memories anymore.

"Do you, William Arthur, take Fleur Isabelle…"

In the front row, Mrs. Weasley and Madame Delacour were crying quietly. Past them, I saw Jenny, her eyes shining with tears.

"…then I declare you bonded for life"

A shower of silver stars fell upon Fleur and Bill, spiraling around their now entwined figures. The twins led a round of applause, the golden balloons above the newlyweds bursting to release birds of paradise and tiny floating bells, their golden chimes like happy sunlight.

Everyone started standing up, so I followed suit, and the gold chairs lifted into the air and landed gracefully around small white tables. The canvas walls of the marquee rolled up into what was now a floating covering. A pool of what seemed like liquid gold, reminding me of felix felicis, spread into a golden dance floor.

"We should congratulate them!" Hermione beamed.

"We can do that later," Ron said, grabbing three butterbeers from a passing waiter's tray, "let's go find a table- no, that one's too near Muriel! Let's go to the back"

By the time we had found a table, they were all occupied but one at the far end where Luna sat alone. The band had started playing a song, and Bill and Fleur took to the dance floor first, to great applause.

"Mind if we sit with you?" I asked Luna as we approached the table.

"Not at all," she smiled dreamily, swaying side to side, "I quite like this song"

A few seconds later, she stood up, taking to the edge of the dance floor, and revolved on the spot, eyes closed and waving her arms. It wasn't long until Krum quickly filled her chair, to Ron's displeasure.

"Come and dance," Ron said quickly. She looked taken aback, but quite pleased, and got up, vanishing with Ron in the crowd.

"Ah, they are together, now?" asked Krum, somewhat distractedly.

"Er- sort of"

"This girl is very good-looking," Krum said, pointing to Jenny, her face glowing with delight as she tried to copy Luna's dance. "Who is she?"

"My girlfriend," I said bluntly, suddenly irritated.

"Then you are lucky. She's the nicest one here," Krum took a gulp of his drink, "Tell me, what is the point of being famous if all of the good-looking girls are taken?"

He strode off, seemingly headed for a group of veela girls sitting at one of the tables. My desire to pull my wand on him slowly started to dim as I saw him take a different girl to dance. I turned my attention back to Jenny, who had just spiraled into a dance with Fred and George. They seemed to be having a great time as they danced horribly off beat, as if they were hearing a completely different song, one more fast-paced and lively.

/

Jenny's POV

I watched as Luna turned, her eyes closed, waving her arms as if doing a sideways dog paddle. She had offered to teach me, and I had immediately jumped into sync with her, feeling somewhat awkward and ridiculous, but had fun all the same. I loved Luna and all her quirks, this was just one of the many interesting things that make my day when I'm around her.

Suddenly, a hand appeared in mine, twirling me until I was standing between Fred and George. Fred threw his hair back and began mock conducting as a very out of place song filled my ears. I laughed when no one else seemed to notice the change, knowing this was a little gift just for me. It was an electricpop song, the beat seemingly moving my body for me.

"What is this?" I asked, enjoying dancing to it.

"4ever by The Veronicas," George said as he danced.

"For some reason, neither or their names are Veronica," Fred added. I shrugged, taking the time to listen to the words.

_Come on baby we ain't gonna live 4ever_

_Let me show you all the things that we could do_

_You know you wanna be together_

_And I wanna spend the night with you_

_Yeah, yeah (with you)_

_Yeah, yeah_

_So come with me tonight_

_We could make the night last 4ever_

Suddenly, the music stopped, and it wasn't just our music- it was the entire hall. A patronus of a lynx had appeared in the middle of the dance floor. Everyone froze in mid-dance, watching in horror as it opened its mouth to speak.

"_The Ministry had fallen. Scrimengeour is dead. They are coming._"

/

Harry's POV

Everything seemed fuzzy; slow. Hermione and I had been sitting, but now we were up on our feet with our wands out. It seemed to be slowly sinking in for the other guests- their heads only just realizing that the patronus was a portent of chaos that was about to ensue.

Then someone screamed.

Havoc broke loose as the protective enchantments around the burrow broke, people were disapparating, screaming, and running in all directions. I threw myself into the crowd, searching for Jenny as Hermione followed, shouting out for Ron.

"Ron! Ron!" Hermione called, terror showing in her voice as dark billows landed on the ground, their wands immediately shooting spells. I could see Meghan cast protego in attempt to protect some of the guests, and Lupin to protect Meghan.

My eyes found the spot where Jenny had been dancing. Her once smiling face now creased with concentration as she fought for her life.

"Jenny!" I shouted, weaving through the crowd and dodging spells as I made my way to her.

"Harry!" her eyes flickered with relief as she weaved her fingers through mine, but quickly returned to torment. "You have to go!"

"You're coming-"

"No, Harry! I can't! I'm not of age!" the weight of her gaze reminding me of last year. I had given her the same look when I had left her at Hogwarts while I went to get the locket. I had looked at her with such intensity, knowing that I may never see her again. Now it was happening again, like a horrible recurring dream. "You have to go!"

Without warning, a hand grabbed the back of my shirt and I felt a familiar tug behind my navel. Jenny's hand slipped from mine as the scene disappeared from my vision.


	9. Escape

Jenny's POV

The death eaters were brutal in their choice of spells. With no Ministry to worry about, they could cast as many unforgiveable curses as they wanted. Most guests had disapparated, but I remained and fought. It wasn't long before they had us surrounded.

Fred, George, Lupin, Meghan, Ginny, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley all stood in a circle facing outward. One death eater stood out from the rest and raised his voice above all.

"The reason we are here," he bellowed, "is Harry Potter"

Ginny gave me a worried glance and shifted beside me.

"We can make this easy… or you can resist," he said, tracing his wand idly with his finger. "Now- who is going to tell me his whereabouts?"

No one spoke or moved. The only noise was the clunking of the death eaters' boots as they glared menacingly at us.

"It's your choice," he said, half shrugging. "Take the girl," he barked. A death eater with big meaty hands seized my arm, dragging me out from under the marquee and into the yard. He threw me to the ground once we were at a distance where I was far enough away to see only the pale circles of their faces, but not far enough that I couldn't hear them scream.

Or rather- _me_ scream.

"Tell me what you know"

"How am I to tell you what I know if I don't know what you think I know and if I know it?"

He didn't move for a few moments, as if he was still trying to figure out what I had said.

"What's going on over there?" one of the other death eaters called.

"H-having a bit of trouble with this one!"

"Don't hold back! Have a bit of fun, Rodolphus!"

Suddenly, I felt an excruciating pain burning through my body like a thousand rivers of hot flames. I heard faint shouts as my friends cried for me, unable to get past the death eaters while unarmed. I closed my eyes, spots dotting my eyelids red as the pain finally ceased.

"Now, tell me where he is!"

"I don't know!"

The pain came again. Worse than one thousand white-hot knives boring into my skin.

"Do you know, yet?"

I dragged my eyes up to meet his masked face, hatred seething through my teeth.

"_I don't know_"

The pain came again- longer, this time. My screams seemed to echo off of the sky itself.

"Stop!" someone shouted. Only this time, he listened.

I lay on my stomach, my face resting on the grass, relieved to have a moment of rest. They hissed behind me, but the words were unclear, my hears still buzzing from the pain. I spotted a large stick not five feet from me and struck an idea.

"_Don't you understand? Look at the wand, idiot! It has to be her!_"

I reached my hand out, taking in how far away it is. I began inching forward, trying not to move upward so they could tell I was moving.

_Please work._

"Where do you think you're going?"

In one final effort, I dove forward, gripping the stick with all of my strength. I felt myself pulled upward. My first thought was that the death eater grabbed me, but that theory was dismissed when I was thrust onto the pavement in the middle of a street. I pushed myself from the ground, wobbling a bit as I realized I was still facing repercussions of the torture curses set on me.

I immediately recognized where I was. Although I could hardly see through the night, I recognized the house in front of me. It had been my home, at one point in time. It had changed, like I had, even in the dark. The grass had grown taller, up to my knees, at least. Dark ivy now crawled up its walls, curling over windows.

Why had I chosen to come here?

Then it began to sink in. Mrs. Weasley- Mr. Weasley- Fred- George- Ginny- Meghan- Lupin-

Tears rolled down my cheeks in hot waves as I realized I had left them to fend for themselves, unarmed. In fact, I had probably made it worse for them by disapparating. They were probably going through that same pain I had just been through. They wouldn't be so gentle, this time.

The house looked abandoned, as if I was the last to occupy it. I walked through the squeaky gate only to jump to a stop when a sign appeared from the ground. It read:

_On the night of August 19, 1990, Michelle Bennett lost her life protecting her daughter, Jennifer. This house, invisible to muggles, has been left as a monument to the Bennets, under request of Albus Dumbledore, as a reminder that __love beyond the world cannot be separated by it. Death cannot kill what never dies. _

I stared at the sign for some time. Finally, I lifted my fist to knock, but, as I should have expected, no one answered. I gripped the door handle and turned it, finding it completely unlocked.

/

Harry's POV

"Where are we?" Ron asked.

I opened my eyes. It took me a moment to realize where we were, seeing as people surrounded us just as we had been moments ago at the wedding.

"Tottenham Court Road," Hermione panted, weaving through people on the street, "just- just follow me"

We followed her until we reached a side street, then into an alleyway where Hermione began rummaging through her bag.

"If only I'd brought the cloak-"

"I have it, actually. In case something happened and we needed a quick escape. You need to change," she said, eyeing us. I looked down and realized I was still wearing dress robes. "I've got some clothes-"

"When you say you've got the cloak and clothes…"

"Yes, here they are!" she said, pulling a fistful of cloth out of her small handbag.

"How the ruddy hell-" Ron began.

"Undetectable extension charm," Hermione said, "Tricky, but Jenny helped me get it right. I knew that it would be useful; especially if we got separated and didn't have Jenny-" she stopped, blinking back tears.

"When did you do all of this?" I asked as Ron started changing.

"I've had the essentials packed for days in case we needed to make a quick getaway. I packed your rucksack this morning, Harry. Jenny said she had this awful feeling that something was going to happen. I just…"

"The others- everyone at the wedding-"

"We can't worry about that now," Hermione whispered, "it's _you_ they're after, Harry. We'll just put them in more danger by going back."

But how could I help but worry? Jenny wasn't exactly unimportant to Voldemort. He'd made moves to get to her before. Just the thought of it made fear bubble like acid in my stomach. It all came back to me at once as the memory sank in.

_My eyes found the spot where Jenny had been dancing. Her once smiling face now creased with concentration as she fought for her life. _

"_Jenny!" I shouted, weaving through the crowd and dodging spells as I made my way to her. _

"_Harry!" her eyes flickered with relief as she weaved her fingers through mine, but her eyes quickly returned to torment. "You have to go!" _

"_You're coming-" _

"_No, Harry! I can't! I'm not of age!" the weight of her gaze reminding me of last year. I had given her the same look when I had left her at Hogwarts while I went to get the locket. I had looked at her with such intensity, knowing that I may never see her again. Now it was happening again, like a horrible recurring dream. "You have to go!" _

"Come on, we have to keep moving," Hermione said, stepping back into the street.

/

Jenny's POV

The house was just as I had remembered it. My body acted on its own, as if it wandered these halls routinely. I found myself at the bathroom, and started up a shower.

The water felt amazing against my sore body, the dirt and blood washing off and spiraling into the drain below. My hair smoothed out onto my back, the warm water comforting me, almost as if it were lulling me to sleep.

I thought about Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They had gotten away, and were safe, as far as I knew. If the Ministry was now under Voldemort's control, then I could only assume that all of the old places are unsafe. Hermione must have taken them somewhere obscure, at least, in part, to common knowledge. We had a number of places pegged as possibilities, and they were surely safe at one of them. Surely.

We had taken extra precautions in case of emergency. I had a feeling it would be premature to my birthday, so I had Hermione's handbag under the undetectable expansion charm. I made sure she took the essentials as well as I, but she took the unique things, like Harry's cloak. She had food, plenty, but how long would they be out there? Months? Years? What about me?

I stepped out of the shower and found a pair of clothes in my bag to wear- nothing fancy, like the bridesmaid dress, but practical- jeans and tennis shoes. I went downstairs, opening the fridge.

Nothing.

I shut the door, frustrated that there was nothing to eat. Then again, this also meant the house was unoccupied. I could stay out of trouble.

I wandered the house, my eyes wandering as my mind drifted from the scene. I couldn't do any magic yet without being detected. That portkey was the last magic I'd do until I turned seventeen. What would I do if I encountered death eaters before then?

I'd have to stay in the dark, then. Once I turned seventeen I could apparate, go searching for the others. I'd join them soon, surely.

But what about until then? I had no food, no magic, no plan.

As if on cue, my stomach growled. I returned to the kitchen and rummaged though the cupboards, finding a variety of packaged foods. I unwrapped mine eagerly and grabbed a handful to put in my pouch for later.

/

Harry's POV

We all stood, mortified, in the doorway of Grimuald Place, still shell shocked from what we had just seen. The protective enchantments the Order had set to protect against Snape had worked, to say the least. Under the impression that Hermione, Ron, and I were Snape, a ghostly figure had risen from the dust, an uncanny but twisted resemblance to Dumbledore.

"We have to check the place," I said, walking over to the windows.

"You think Snape's here?"

"I don't know, but we can't very well stay here if someone could come and kill us in our sleep," I said, heading into the drawing room.

Hermione drew her wand while Ron went to check windows and rooms.

"There's no one here!" I heard her shout from the front of the house. In moments, they appeared at the doorway.

"Do you think they followed us here? I know they can't get in the house, but- Harry?" Ron began, but I had lost sight of him as my scar burned against my skin. I gave out a cry of pain as something flashed through my mind, but it wasn't clear enough to see what. I felt a fury that was not my own pound through my body, violent and brief as electric shock.

What did you see?" Ron asked.

"No- I didn't see anything- just anger- he was so angry-"

"That could be at the Burrow!" Ron exclaimed, "What else? Didn't you see anything? Was he cursing someone?"

I shook my head, confused and vexed, not sure what else to say. Fear bubbled in my stomach as the image of Voldemort at the burrow crossed my mind.

"Your scar? Harry, this was supposed to stop!" Hermione said in a frightened voice.

"It did… for a while. It still happens- when- when he loses control"

Hermione shrieked and I turned around, my wand in hand, to see a silver weasel patronus soar through the window and land in front of us, speaking in Mr. Weasley's voice. "_Family safe, Jenny escaped, do not reply, we are being watched._"

The patronus dissolved into nothingness, leaving my mind swarming with questions. Ron and Hermione collapsed onto the sofa, relieved that they were safe. I was not so content.

"What do you suppose he meant? "Jenny escaped"?" Ron asked after a moment. A long silence followed.

"Well she must be safe, if she escaped," Hermione deducted.

"Or she just moved to an unknown location where no one can help her. Look at how fast death eaters found us, Hermione! What if she's under attack right now? What if she's unarmed?"

They both stared up at me, shocked at how I had lashed out at them. Unable to apologize, I turned and walked away, heading upstairs. Perhaps I could find solace wandering the house.


	10. Infiltration

Jenny's POV

I scattered the old photos across the bed, looking them all over. I found several of her with Meghan from when they were my age, one of her with a woman who must have been Mrs. Delacour, and an older couple behind them, their parents. My grandparents. I shuffled through them, finding more with her and some others. There was a photo of her and a rather pretty redheaded girl, who I assumed was Harry's mom. Then there was one of her, James, and Lily. It seemed as if James had jumped in at the last minute next to Lily, whose face turned sour as he squished next to her. Michelle's face had brightened significantly at the couple's escapade. I smiled, a warm feeling of comfort and longing rising in me as I saw clearly how close she was with them. In another world, one where they had lived, perhaps we could have been happy from the start. With no Voldemort, could that exist? Could James and Lily and Michelle and Sirius have lived happily? Could Harry and I have been neighbors- friends from the start?

I picked up a photo of Sirius and Michelle, spinning around happily, oblivious to the fact that their life would soon spiral downward. Or perhaps they did- maybe she knew all along. But as I looked into her eyes, I knew that no matter what she knew, she felt as if the only thing in the world was Sirius. I felt an intense yearning as I realized it would never happen. We would never be able to be with them again.

My mind wandered to Harry, wondering where he was right now. What he was doing. Was he on the trail of a horcrux? What would we do if we found one?

I thought of the horcruxes that I knew of. There was the diary, which Harry had destroyed with a basilisk fang second year. The ring, which I had…

Just then, I had an epiphany.

I had destroyed the horcrux in the ring with the Sword of Gryffindor. The sword was in a glass case in Dumbledore's office. It was then, I realized, that I had to retrieve it if we had any hope of destroying any more horcruxes.

/

I munched on a granola bar, _I'm really getting sick of these_. I'd been living off of them alone for days, but today was different. Today, I was going to execute my plan.

The Marauder's Map was one of the things I had kept in my pouch, thankfully. It was essential to my survival, today. Now that I'm of age, I can use magic without worrying about the trace. My plan was to apparate in, grab the sword, and get out as few complications as possible. Of course, if Harry were here, he'd try to stop me, seeing as I have no wand- but what choice do I have?

I took a deep breath, folding the Marauder's Map and slipping it in my pocket. I took one last fleeting look at my old home before spiraling into nothingness.

I reappeared in the Gryffindor common room, which looked rather dreary compared to how I remembered it. The fireplace had gone cold, not a single flickering ember in its wake.

"Jenny!" a familiar voice called out. I turned to see Ginny sprinting toward me, her arms instantly wrapping around me. "You're alright! Thank goodness-"

"Ginny," I said, ending the hug, "I need to get into Dumbledore's office"

"Technically it's Snape's, now"

"What?"

"Snape's been appointed headmaster. It happened soon after the Ministry fell, Voldemort wanted control of the school, sent over Snape and a couple of death eaters. They're like his bloody body-guards, I swear-"

"Jenny, what are you doing here?" Neville came over, sparking an idea.

"Please- I need your help," I said, "Neville, Ginny, I need to get into Du- _Snape's_ office. It'll be dangerous, but-"

"If you need us, we'll be there," Ginny said, looking up at Neville, who smiled and nodded.

"Great," I said, "you two will have to hold off Alecto and Amycus Carrow while I get in the office"

"What do you need to do in the office?" Ginny asked.

"I've got to get the sword. I can't tell you why- it would put you in danger," I said, recalling the various ways death eaters could try to get answers out of you. It's best not to have them.

"It's been like a ruddy prison with Dumbledore gone and death eaters around. Just tell us what to do," Neville said, his face set with determination.

"Right, so, we're going to go down to the office, you two hold them off and I'll slip inside. When I'm done, I'll be apparating out, so after a minute or two, you guys can run for it," I reached into my pouch and pulled out a bit of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, "here- use this"

Thanks to the Marauder's map and my devious travels through the dark abandoned corridors, we got to the entrance of the headmaster's office without running into anyone, however, the two death eater siblings were patrolling the area.

When we were close to the door, Ginny dropped the powder and I made a run for it. The unmistakable sounds of a battle ensued as I climbed the stairs, blasting the office door open. I ran straight for the sword, already knowing where it was kept, as I'd seen it posted in its case before.

I stretched my arm toward the sword as I ran. "_Diffindo_!" The glass shattered, the sword exposed.

"Stop. Right. There." A slow dangerous voice spoke behind me. I slowed to a stop, turning cautiously to face Severus Snape. I was so close… the sword just barely in reach…

But I couldn't get it without Snape having the opening to hex me, so I took initiative and shot a curse at him.

He seemed a bit surprised, even impressed, at my wandless magic. I knew, however, that if it was my wandless magic against his _with_ a wand, especially, I was at a disadvantage.

Just then, Amycus burst through the door. I knew I was going to be overthrown if I stayed any longer, so I made a break for it and reached for the sword.

"No! Not that sword!" Snape shouted as I leapt at it. All at once, my fingers came in contact with the cool metal of the sword, a tug pulled me back from behind the navel, and darkness swept over me. I realized immediately that Amycus had intercepted me, his form swirling through nothingness with mine. I bypassed my old house, trying to shake him off partway but ended up landing with a crash in Grimuald Place.

I found myself on the kitchen floor, and dove behind the counters to avoid spells. I scooted to the corner before he managed to climb to his feet.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" A sound _thump_ shook the floor as his body fell to the ground.

I dared not move. _Who had cast that spell?_ I crawled forward a bit, the frozen form of Amycus coming into view. Behind him stood his attacker. My eyes slowly rose until I met his eyes-

/

Harry's POV

A ruckus came from the kitchen, and I jumped to investigate, my wand at the ready. I found a death eater, one of the siblings that had chased Jenny and I last year, scrambling to his feet on the tile.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" I shouted, his body suddenly going rigid, falling to the floor like dead wood.

What had he been doing here? How did he get in? Why was he on the floor?

I slowly stepped forward, looking down at him as if it would somehow answer my question.

"Harry!" I turned to see Jenny leap up from behind the counter, her clothes rumpled and her hair disheveled, as if she'd just been in a brawl.

"Jenny!" my face lit up as she ran toward me. I opened my arms, wrapping them around her, "you're alive!"

Ron and Hermione, who had followed me to the disturbance, ran into the kitchen and took in the scene.

"Jenny!" Hermione cried. I let go of her so they could hug.

"Blimey! Have you been on your own this whole time?" Ron said as he took his turn hugging her. I wish I could go over there and take her back, feeling as if I needed to feel her body against mine, reassuring me that she was actually here.

"Always the tone of surprise," she laughed, "I had no choice"

"What happened after we left? Where did you go after the Burrow?" Hermione asked.

"The battle didn't last long, most of the guests disapparated and they overtook us pretty quickly. They took our wands, and when no one would give up any information, they started-" she stopped, as if editing what she was saying, "interrogating us"

I wasn't fooled for one second. I assumed the worst.

"I was first," she continued, "they had my wand, they figured out who I was. I had to get out," her eyes started welling up. I swept across the room, instantly by her side.

"They're alright," Ron said, "Dad sent his patronus. He said the family was alright"

Jenny took a deep breath and sported a watery smile before continuing, "I went to one of my old houses where my mom and I stayed. I camped out there for a few days, 'til I was of age, then I went to Hogwarts-" her eyes shot open and she suddenly turned and searched the room ravenously.

"What? What is it?" I asked, suddenly alert.

"No! I just had it! How could- he must have-" she rambled on, searching the floor behind the cabinets. "It's gone!"

"What's gone?" Ron asked.

"The Sword of Gryffindor! I snuck into Hogwarts to get it, but then I ran into Snape and-" I felt my blood boil at the name, "he must have taken it as I was apparating." She stood still, then, as we all weighed what had happened. The only tool we knew could destroy horcruxes was in Hogwarts. Jenny had gotten it, if only for a moment-

"I can go back-"

"No," I said immediately, "it's too dangerous- they'd see you coming. Besides, they've probably moved it by now…"

"What are we going to do with him, then?" Ron said, walking up to the death eater. "Kill him? He wouldn't think twice about doing the same to us"

"No, we'll wipe his memory, but we have to leave Grimuald Place after that. We can't come back," Jenny said, her face hard, as if she were thinking of something with great intensity, as she looked down at her attacker. She bent down and picked up his wand.

"My wand was taken at the Burrow," she explained, aiming the wand at Amycus as she rose to her feet. "_Obliviate_"


	11. What Hurts The Most

Harry's POV

We apparated to the forest, one I recognized. My first thought was the Forbidden Forest, but the trees here were younger and dispersed more sparsely.

"Where are we?" Ron asked.

"We came here for the World Cup," Hermione explained, "it's remote, enclosed, undercover…"

"We can stay here- not for long, though. I don't like the thought of staying still. When we disapparated from the Burrow, Death Eaters found us in a matter of minutes." I said, checking the perameters.

"We'll stay for tonight, at least, Hermione," Jenny nodded to Hermione. She nodded back, pulling her purse off of her shoulder and tossing it to Harry. She and Jenny started walking in a large circle around us.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked.

"If we're staying here, we need to set protective enchantments," Hermione explained as they continued to set the perimeters with protective spells.

"You could get the tent out, Harry," Jenny said, casting her spells silently.

"Tent?"

"In the bag!"

"In the… right," I said, opening the bag and peering in. There was a mass of stuff inside, seemingly endless. "_Accio tent,_" I pointed my wand inside, barely moving it in time to avoid being hit by a lump of canvas and poles. Ron and I stared at a moment, going over the tedious process of pitching a tent in our minds. I crouched on the forest floor, grabbing a tent peg to embed in the ground.

"_Erecto!_" Jenny cast her wand in our direction, causing the tent to pop up and the peg to fly from my hands. The parts had become animated and were piecing together themselves. If it were a few years ago, Ron would have instantly said _wicked_, but his expression was sullen as he started toward the tent.

"There! That should keep away Vol-" Jenny began was cut off by Ron.

"Don't say the name!" Ron said, his voice harsh as he stopped by the tent opening. Jenny, Hermione, and I exchanged glances, confused by his outburst.

"Sorry," it just feels like a jinx or something. Can't we just call him You-Know-Who? Please?"

"Dumbledore said fear of a name-" I began, but he cut in again.

"In case you didn't notice, calling him by his name didn't do Dumbledore much good in the end," he snapped, "Just- just show You-Know-Who a little respect"

"_Respect_?" I said, feeling my muscles tense. How could he even _suggest_ such a thing? I opened my mouth to retort, but Jenny spoke first, her voice calm.

"It's possible a taboo has been placed on his name. It _would_ make it easier for him to find people who oppose him," she offered, attempting to cool the situation. "Let's get inside, it's getting dark out"

/

Jenny's POV

"I'll go make some tea," Hermione said, but stopped before leaving for the kitchen. "Here, Jenny, put this on," she said, handing me the horcrux necklace.

I held it in my hand, taking in its intricate details of the emerald _S_, the dull glint it gave off in the diffused lighting of the tent, the pulse that closely resembled a heartbeat as I held it in my hand. I lifted it closer to my face, the urge to open it becoming almost irresistible, almost as if it were a hunger.

"Jenny?" Harry said, breaking the trance.

"Yes?"

He looked worried; "we've been taking turns- wearing it, I mean. How about I wear it tonight and you start tomorrow?"

"Alright," I said, allowing him to take it from me. His hand brushed against mine and all of our memories together seemed to flood into me. For weeks, I had no knowledge of where Harry was, and now I was with him. He was safe.

"Tea," Hermione said, walking in with a couple of cups of hot steamy liquid. I cradled the tea in my hands; cherishing the relaxing feeling it gave me.

"We should take turns keeping watch outside," Hermione said, heading for the opening of the tent.

"I'll come, too," Ron said, taking his tea and following her outside, leaving only Harry and I in the silence they left behind.

"Are you hungry?" I asked him, noticing he looked a little woozy.

"I'm fine," he assured me.

All of the sudden, he passed out, falling against the side of the tent and sliding down to the floor. His mug rolled onto its side, the tea splashing onto the wooden floor.

"_Harry!_" I said dropping onto my knees at his side. It wasn't long until Ron and Hermione came rushing into the tent.

"What happened?" Hermione asked running toward me.

"I- I don't know! He just fainted!" I said, trying to figure out what to do, but in the mean time, I just sat there flustered, my hands waving uncertainly in the air.

"Let's move him onto a bed," Hermione said.

"Right," I agreed, moving to grab his shoulders while Ron went for his feet. We lay him down on the blankets. After a minute of anxious staring, Ron and Hermione went back outside to keep watch while I sat nervously next to Harry. What had caused him to pass out? Usually if his scar hurt, he'd double over in pain, but _pass out completely_? Not a usual.

/

Harry's POV

"_Harry?_" The voice seemed distant- clear, but out of reach. I opened my eyes, my head throbbing, as a blur of sunshine solidified into Jenny leaning over me, her eyes concerned. My eyes moved around, realizing I had passed out in the tent and had been moved to a different room. "Did you see _him_ again?"

I nodded feebly, "he found Gregorovich, he was tied up, torturing him. Voldemort wanted something, but Gregorovich said it was stolen and then," I remembered how Voldemort had used occlumency to see Gregorovich's memories, "a young bloke stole something from Gregorovich, jumped out a window… I feel like I've seen him somewhere…"

The theft had been so long ago, so how could the thief look so familiar? What was it he stole that Voldemort wanted so desperately?

/

The days seemed to blur together after that. We had taken to travelling, never staying in one place for more than one night. We were running low on food, and moving from one secluded location to another didn't help.

"We have to get food," Ron said, "We can stop at a town or something"

"No. No! It's far too dangerous," Hermione said.

"I agree with Ron- we're going to starve at this rate," I said. We all turned to Jenny to be the deciding factor.

"I'm quite content with roasted bark," she said, but her stomach growled in disagreement. "Fine. We'll stop somewhere- but we're going to have to be careful. Who knows how dangerous it could be?"

"We'll stop at a muggle town, then," I nodded, my stomach anticipating a hot meal. We took each other's hands and apparated to the outskirts of a muggle town.

"Put on your cloak," Jenny said, handing me the invisibility cloak. "Ron, Hermione, start setting up camp. We'll be back with food, soon," she said, pulling out her wand, becoming invisible with a flick of the wrist. The only problem now was that… I couldn't see her. I started toward the village, following the footprints she left in the grass. Once we reached concrete, however, I was stumped.

"Harry!" she whispered harshly, beckoning me to follow her voice. I started walking again, wand in hand, as I followed her to a bakery. Once inside, it was all I could do not to get hit by people bustling around the store. I saw loafs of bred mysteriously slide off of the shells, disappearing in thin air. The bell above the door jingled as a cool breeze swept in, but that wasn't all that entered the store. A dementor flew in, its black cloak billowing around it, the only stationary feature being a large hole where its mouth would be.

I reached for my wand to cast a patronus…. but nothing happened. Something was wrong.

Not a moment too soon, silvery wisps appeared, taking form not unlike a wolf, and driving the dementor out. Shortly after, the door opened again, with no visible customer opening it. I knew immediately that it was Jenny leaving, so I followed quickly. When we had made it a safe distance from the town, I turned to look back. There were dozens of dementors swarming the skies, sucking the happy memories from the oblivious muggles roaming the streets.

"Harry?" Jenny called. I pulled my cloak off, and she became visible again in response. "You don't suppose they were after us, do you?"

"I dunno- they're still down there. If they were after us, they'd have followed us, wouldn't they?" I turned to look back at the town, "Jenny, when we were down there, I tried to conjure a patronus, but I couldn't. I don't know why, but…" What if I was losing my power? What if I'm not as strong as I think? What if Jenny had gotten hurt back there because I couldn't do anything? How was I supposed to defeat Voldemort if I couldn't even cast a patronus?

"Let's find Ron and Hermione," she said, starting up the hill. Highly unnerved, I followed her into the depths of the forest. It wasn't long until Hermione and Ron showed themselves with the camp completely set up. We told them what happened, and talked about it over a loaf of bread. Hermione and Jenny decided that it was best to play it safe, and neither Ron nor I had anything to say against that.

That night, Jenny and I took the first watch shift outside the tent.

"Aren't the stars beautiful?" Jenny said, hugging her knees as she looked up at the sky.

I looked up at the night sky; the stars had shown themselves overhead. They were brilliant against the dark canvas, completely free of the burdens of the real world. "It's like they're taunting us"

"That's it!" Jenny exclaimed, jumping to her feet.

"What?" I asked curiously, standing up too.

"That's why you couldn't cast a patronus! Harry, try it now!" she said, lifting the horcrux necklace from my neck and putting it around hers. I took out my wand and pointed it away from us. Sure enough, a brilliant silver stag erupted from its tip.

"You're brilliant, Jenny," I grinned, feeling as if a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

/

Jenny's POV

Since the bakery incident, we hadn't taken any chances with going into towns. We stayed in remote locations tucked away into the mundane British countryside. It was far from glamorous, and it set all of us on edge- especially whoever was wearing the horcrux.

"Mum," Ron said one night over dinner, "can make good food appear out of thin air."

I looked up at his sudden comment, my eyes searching for the horcrux, which was, of course, around his neck. I poked at the lumps of charred grey fish on my plate. Usually, I found bark and edible plants to eat when I made dinner, but Hermione had wanted something a bit closer to a regular meal and, seeing as we were near a river, fish seemed to work. Harry went to catch the fish, I went to gather bark, and Hermione cooked it while Ron sulked in the tent.

"Your mother can't produce food out of thin air," Hermione retorted, "no one can. Food is one of the Principle Exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Trans-"

"Oh, speak English, can't you?" Ron said, yanking a fish bone from his teeth.

"It's impossible to create good food from nothing! You can summon it if you know where it is, you can transform it, you can increase the quantity-"

"Well, don't bother increasing this- it's disgusting!"

"I'm doing everything I can, Ronald!"

"You're not doing enough!"

Then, everything went silent, except for the _plunk, plunk, plunk_ on the top of the canvas as it began to rain.

"I thought you knew what you signed up for," Harry said.

"Yeah, I thought I did, too."

_Plunk, plunk, plunk_, the rain seemed to be falling harder and heavier.

"I'm sorry, but what part of this isn't living up to your standards? Did you think you'd be staying in a five star hotel?" Harry said, setting down his fork, "Finding a horcrux every other day? Did you think you'd be home with Mummy by Christmas?"

"We thought you knew what you were doing!" Ron shouted, standing up, "We thought Dumbledore had told you what to do- that you had a plan!"

"Ron!" Hermione shouted, clearly audible over the rain pounding on the roof, but he ignored her.

"Look, I told you everything Dumbledore told me and in case you haven't noticed, we've found a horcrux-"

"Yeah, and we're about as near to destroying it as we are to finding the rest of them!" I found myself rising to my feet as their voices grew to a crescendo.

"You wouldn't be saying this if you hadn't been wearing it all day," Hermione said as she tried to take the horcrux from him, he struggled against her, shoving her away.

"I've been out here for months, freezing my arse off, eating plants, searching for these horcruxes, worried about who the death eaters are going to go after next, Mum, Fred-"

"Look, you don't think I know how this feels?" Harry said.

"No, you don't know how this feels! Your parents are _dead_! You have no family!" Ron shouted and, before I could register what was happening, they had both bolted toward each other.

"No! Stop!" I leapt forward, grabbing Harry and trying desperately to pry them away from each other. Then, at once, Hermione and I seemed to have succeeded in separating them, as they both flew back.

"Fine! Go, then!" Harry shouted, corrosive hatred spilling from his mouth. They looked at each other as if seeing each other clearly for the first time.

"Take it off," I said firmly, my eyes locked on Ron. He tore the horcrux from his neck and threw it onto the ground, his expression unchanging as he stormed out of the tent.

"Ron!" Hermione called as she chased after him. Harry and I stood in silence as her pleads grew more desperate as she sobbed, trying to bring Ron back to reason. My eyes stared beyond the opening of the tent, alert, as I realized the only sound we could hear was the rain.

They were gone.

When Harry finally moved, he went to pick up the Horcrux. I reached my hand out to stop him, and placed it around my neck instead. I felt his eyes follow me as I soundlessly went to my bed and stared up at the dark canvas roof, falling asleep to the pounding of the rain.


	12. The Last Enemy

When morning came, I realized that Hermione and Ron's beds were empty. It dawned to me that they weren't going to come back.

I busied myself in the kitchen, as we had left the dishes out last night.

When Harry woke up, neither of us spoke, even when he came into the kitchen as I cooked. We ate breakfast in silence.

As we packed our things up, I realized that once we left this spot, it would be impossible for them to find us. I yearned to stay, to hang onto the tiny thread of hope that they would return, but I pushed it from my mind. If we were to be safe, if we were to continue our mission, we had to keep moving.

We lingered at the campsite for an hour, unable to completely accept that they weren't coming back until I finally grabbed Harry's hand and disapparated, reappearing on a windswept hillside. The biting cold was nothing compared to the feeling gripping my stomach as the events of last night echoed through my mind.

Harry had suggested many reckless moves, such as going back to Hogwarts, but no matter how much I wanted to, I refused every time. Walking into Hogwarts was as dangerous as walking into the Ministry, especially for Harry, as Undesirable Number One. Without Ron and Hermione, I felt hopelessly grim and lost as to what to do. Our close-knit family of renegades had been abruptly torn in two, leaving us shell-shocked.

In attempt to raise our spirits and fill our stomachs, I went to a supermarket (while invisible, of course) and bought (well, I left the money on the counter) pasta and fruit. It had left both of us in better moods as we ate in comfortable silence.

"Hey, Harry?" I asked, setting down my fork. "Was this charm on my bracelet when you gave it to me?" I asked as I pulled out the bracelet I had received last Christmas. Everyone had given me a charm for it that reminded me of them, like the book from Hermione or the broom from Ginny. What I couldn't seem to remember was who had given me this particular charm. I held the bracelet out for Harry as he examined the charm, which looked like it was a triangular eye with a vertical line for a pupil.

"I dunno," he said, turning it over with his thumb, as if he was searching for the answer carved into its side. "Jenny, I've been thinking… I want to go to Godric's Hollow"

"I've been thinking that, too. It'll be dangerous- but that just seems to make it more likely that we'll find it"

"Er- find what?"

"A horcrux, Harry! Godric's Hollow is, after all, Godric Gryffindor's birthplace, and Voldemort _did_ die there-"

"Wait- Gryffindor came from Godric's Hollow?"

"Harry, did you _ever_ read _A History of Magic_?" I sighed. Even if he hadn't, it was called _Godric_'s Hollow. Seriously.

"Erm," he said, smiling for the first time in what seemed like months, "well, I might have, you know, when I bought it…"

I smiled broadly, unable to help myself; "we might see Bathilda Bagshot there, too. Aunt Muriel said she still lives there"

"Bathilda Bagshot?" he said, as if racking his brain for something to match the name.

"The historian- she was a friend of Dumbledore's. Maybe she'll know something"

/

Harry's POV

Finally, I was going home, to the one place where I had had a family. It was there where, if it hadn't been for Voldemort, I would have grown up, spend holidays, maybe even have had brothers and sisters. The life I had lost hardly ever seemed so real to me as it did this moment, when I was about to see the place where it had been taken from me. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as Jenny laced her fingers through mine, knowing that when I opened them, I would see that place.

My heart beating in my throat, I opened my eyes. We were standing hand in hand in a snowy lane under the dark blue sky sprinkled with glimmering stars. Cottages lined along the sides of the road, Christmas decorations twinkling in the windows. I heard a snatch of laughter as the door to a pub opened and closed, making Jenny let go of my hand and, instead, hooked her arm through mine as we walked.

"Harry, I think it's Christmas Eve," Jenny said softly as we passed a small church, carolers chorusing happily inside. I couldn't help but notice that behind it was a small cemetery. "They'll be in there… won't they?" she said as we stopped walking. Now that I was so close, I wondered if I wanted to see it at all. Maybe Jenny knew how I was feeling, because she started walking toward it, prompting me to follow her. Suddenly, she stopped dead.

My first reaction was to pull out my wand, but I stopped when my eyes fell upon it. A war memorial in the cemetery had just transformed into a statue of three people: a man with untidy hair and glasses, a woman with long hair and a kind, pretty face, and a small, happy baby in her arms. I had never imagined there would be a statue… It was so strange, seeing myself represented as a happy baby without a scar on my forehead.

The darkness and the silence seemed to, all of the sudden, much deeper. I looked around, instantly thinking of dementors, but realized the only movement was the carolers walking down the street. It was then I realized that Jenny had moved and was now looking at the gravestones. The statue transformed back when I walked away from it and deeper into the cemetery.

When I reached her, she hadn't moved, her head bowed down at the graves at her feet. The snow was brushed away, showing three names engraved upon them: _Michelle Bennett,_ _James Potter,_ and _Lily Potter_, and beneath was a single quote: _The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. _

/

Jenny's POV

There was space on Michelle's grave for another name, but it had never been carved. I suspected she wanted Sirius buried with her, as Lily and James had been. Knowing it would never happen made my blood run cold.

"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death…" Harry read, "is that a Death Eater idea? Why is that here?"

"It doesn't mean defeating Death Eaters," I explained gently, recognizing his tone of panic, "it means living beyond death. Living after death."

When he didn't respond, I looked at him to find his lips pressed together and tears streaming down his face. I raised my wand, moving it in a circle, a wreath of roses blossomed on their grave. Harry put his arm around me and I put mine around my waist as we left the cemetery.

"Harry," I said, my eyes and ears suddenly alert, "there's someone watching us."

"Are you sure?" he asked, his arm tightening around me.

"I saw something move- I'm sure of it. Over there," I said, glancing anxiously toward the dark shadows by the bushes.

"If it was a Death Eater, we'd be dead by now-"

"Oh, that's comforting!" I whispered, my hand finding my wand in my pocket.

"Let's just get out of here," he said, glancing back repeatedly as we made our way out of the cemetery, "we can put the cloak on."

We walked as quickly as we dared down the darkening streets as we approached the edge of town where the street led into open country. Suddenly, Harry started walking faster, nearly dragging me along with him.

"Harry-" had he seen something?

"Look, Jenny!" he said, and then I realized he was heading toward a cottage that could only be Godric's Hollow. The grass had grown wild over the years, now up to my waist. Most of the cottage was still standing, though entirely covered in dark ivy and snow, the right side of the top floor completely blown apart, where the curse had backfired. Harry placed his hand on the gate as if to open it, but only held it, as if he only wanted to hold some part of the house.

A sign sprung out of the grass like some bizarre flower, nearly identical to the one that had been at my old house.

_On the night of October 31, 1981, Lily and James Potter lost their lives. Their son, Harry, remains the only wizard known to have survived the Killing Curse. This house, invisible to muggles, has been left in its ruined state as a monument to the Potters' and as a reminder of the violence that tore apart their family. _

Around the carved words were messages and signatures written in everlasting ink. Some were obviously years old, while some shone as if they had only been written days ago. _Good luck, Harry, wherever you are. If you're reading this- we're all behind you! Long live Harry Potter._

"Its brilliant, I-" he broke off when a dark figure moved toward us. The unknown noise belonged to this person, but as they drew nearer, their identity became clearer: an old woman.

Harmless as she seemed, I couldn't seem to shake my sense of chills. She stopped at the end of the Potter lot, gazing over the fence at the ruins. She was clearly a witch, or at least a squib, because no muggle would stop to gaze at an empty lot. She began to walk again, shuffling through the gate and toward the front door. Harry and I looked at each other before deciding to follow.


	13. Take Me Home

(Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was amazing and I hope you go to see it! As a tribute to the end of the era, I'm going to make a music video with the song This Is War. I'll let you know when it's done! Enjoy!)

/

Harry's POV

When we stepped inside, my nose wrinkled at the unpleasant odor, or perhaps it was Bathilda that smelled bad. I looked down at her hunched figure, her eyes thick with cataracts and sunken in folds of skin, her face dotted with broken veins and liver spots. It was a miracle she could function at all.

The stench intensified as we followed her deeper into the house, the odor of old age, dust, stale food, and dirty clothes emitting in strong waves. I turned to see Jenny twitching her nose, twitching it from side to side to keep from sneezing.

"Come!" Bathilda shouted from the next room. Jenny jumped at the sudden yell, her grip tightening on my arm.

"It's okay," I said encouragingly, leading her into the sitting room. The horcrux locket pulsed against my chest as the room opened up around us. Bathilda stood with a shaky candle in hand. Jenny's grip loosened as she moved forward to help.

"Here, let me," she said, taking the matches and lighting the candles in the room, beginning with the one in Bathilda's hand. Jenny busied herself with the candles on a dusty old dresser decorated with photographs. Bathilda stared blankly as me, jerking her head toward the hall. I followed Bathilda upstairs, the house creaking with every step we took as if it would break if I made one wrong move.

Once we were upstairs, she led me into a dark room. The only light was the flickering candle in her hand, casting eerie flashes of light onto her face. My eyes remained fixed on her face as it seemed to change. First, I thought it was a trick of the light, or lack thereof. Then, all at once, my scar pricked painfully, the horcrux twitched against my chest, and an enormous snake erupted from her mouth, shedding her body like a layer of dead skin.

The snake struck before I could attack, its bite in my arm sending my wand flying into the air. I fell back into a table, rolling to the side and narrowly avoiding the snake's tail, which thrashed down upon the table where I had been a second earlier. The noise from the shattering glass must have alerted Jenny, because she called to me from downstairs. I couldn't muster enough air to call back, but ended up using what I had to protest the snake's coil around my chest.

"No!" I gasped, pinned to the floor.

"_Yes… yesssss… hold you… hold you…."_ The snake tightened around me, squeezing the air from my lungs, causing red spots to cloud my vision. The horcrux was pressed hard against my chest, its metal once cold now throbbing with life, inches from my own frantic heart, my brain flooding with cold white light, all thought slipping away, distant footsteps, everything going…

I was abruptly awake in the sour-smelling darkness; Nagini had released me. The flash of light from a spell revealed Jenny's presence in the doorway, wand arm extended at the now flying snake. The curse bounced off of it, passing over Jenny as she ducked, shattering a window. For a moment, all was dark and silent, and I thought the worst. A moment later, a flash of red erupted from Jenny's wand and the snake went flying in the air with a bang.

"He's coming! Jenny, _he's coming!_" I shouted, leaping desperately across the room and colliding with Jenny. We rolled over the bed and hit the floor with a painful thud. She continued to cast spells, though they seemed to be nearly useless against the snake. Worse than the snake was coming, though, possibly already at the front gate. I had to get her out of here- _now_.

Glass cut my cheek as I leapt from the floor, pulling Jenny with me, and straight out the smashed window, spiraling into nothingness. Her scream reverberated through the night as we twisted in midair, Voldemort's scream mingling with hers, sharp with rage.

_I moved down the dark street, making less noise than the dead leaves slithering along the pavement as I drew level with the dark ledge, peering over it. At last, my destination was in sight, the Fidelius Charm broken, though they did not know it yet. They were so careless, not even bothering to draw the curtains. The tall black-haired man with glasses made puffs of colored smoke with his want to entertain the small black-haired boy in blue pajamas. The child was laughing, trying to catch the smoke, to grasp it in his small fist… _

_Then the mother entered, saying words I could not hear, her long auburn hair falling over her face. The father scooped up the son and handed him to his wife, casting the want upon the sofa, stretching, yawning… _

_The gate creaked as I pushed it open, but they did not hear. My white hand pulled out my wand beneath my cloak, pointing at the door, which burst open. _

_Once I was in the house, my presence became real to them. It was easy- too easy. James hadn't even retrieved his wand before he came rushing to meet me. _

"_Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"_

_Hold me off without a wand? I laughed as I raised my wand…_

"_Avada Kadavra!" _

_James Potter fell like a marionette whose strings had been cut. _

_I could hear her screams from the upper floor, trapped, but as long as she was sensible, she had nothing to fear. I climbed the steps with amusement as she attempted to barricade the door. She had no wand, either. How stupid they were- how trusting- thinking that their safety lay in friends, that they had no use for their wands. _

_At the sight of me, she dropped her son into the crib behind her and threw her arms wide, as if she could shield him and be chosen instead. _

"_Not Harry! Not Harry! Please not Harry!" _

"_Stand aside, silly girl"_

"_No, please, take me! Kill me instead-" _

"_This is my last warning-" _

"_Please! Not Harry- I'll do anything!" _

"_Stand aside, girl!" _

_I could have forced her away from the crib, but it seemed more prudent to finish them all…_

_The green light flashed around the room as she dropped cold to the floor. The child hadn't shed a tear this whole time. He stood in the crib, clutching its bars as he looked up at the hooded figure before him with a kind of bright interest. Perhaps he thought I was his father, making more pretty light, and his mother would wake up any moment, laughing-_

_I pointed my wand at the boy's face, wanting to watch it happen, this time- his destruction. The child began to cry, realizing I was not James. I did not like crying, i'd never been able to stomach the small ones whining in the orphanage-_

"_Avada Kadavra!"_

_And then I broke; I was nothing. _

/

Jenny's POV

Harry had been out for hours, shouting and moaning, sweating like crazy, his temperature rising and his color draining from his face. I had gotten him onto one of the beds in the tent and tended to his wounds, cleaned up the snake bite, washed his cuts and face, and severed the horcrux from his chest where it had planted itself into his skin.

"Harry! Harry wake up! Please wake up!" I said, shaking his shoulder as he moaned in his unconscious state. Finally, he woke in cold sweat, his eyes darting around anxiously before returning to a certain calm upon meeting my gaze. "You've been out for hours, are you alright?"

"Yes"

I shifted uncomfortably at his attempt to comfort me with his lie. The truth was, I'd been scared. These past few hours with Harry all beaten and cut up, drifting in and out of some sort of dream-like state, it was unnerving, to say the least.

"When the snake was around you, it pressed the horcrux into your skin and I couldn't get it off without severing it away from you. The snake bit you, too. I cleaned all of your wounds and put some dittany on it"

He sat up and pulled away his sweaty shirt, examining his wounds, especially the one over his heart.

"Where did you put the horcrux?"

"In my bag- I think it's best we keep it off for a bit"

He lay back into the pillow, his face creased with concern as he examined my face.

"I'm sorry… we shouldn't have gone to Godric's Hollow. It's all my fault"

"It's not your fault, I wanted to go, too."

He threw back the covers and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

"No, Harry! You need rest!"

"No offense, Jenny, but you're the one who looks like they need rest. I'll keep watch while you sleep- where's my wand?"

I bit my lip, tears forming in my eyes.

"Where's my wand, Jenny?"

"I'm so sorry, Harry," I said, pulling the pieces of his wand from my pocket, "I tried to fix it, but-"

"It's fine," he said, his voice empty, "give me your wand"

I hesitated.

"What? Did yours break, too?"

"No, it's not that…"

"Then what?"

I took the wand from my pocket, handing it over to him. His eyes widened as it fell into his grasp.

"See what I mean?" I said, remembering what it felt like to hold it in my hand, outstretched toward an opponent, the pulsing of malicious intent running through the wand and into your very veins, overwhelming your system until you eventually succumbed to its lust. "It's a lot like the horcrux, in that it brings your dark side to the surface, makes you want to… just be careful. Keep it in your pocket, if you can," I said, standing up to go to bed.

I awoke a few hours earlier to find Harry sitting outside the tent, clutching the wand until his knuckles glowed white. His livid expression made it seem like he could lash out at any moment- that he would snap and dark temptations would consume him.

"Harry," I said as I sat cautiously next to him, but he seemed unable to feel my presence. I pulled the old photo from my pocket, holding it in front of him. In the photo stood James and Sirius with their arms around Lily and Michelle, two small children cradled in their arms. The small boy was attempting to crawl from his mother's arms to see who lay in the bundle in Michelle's arms.

"This is…"

"Us, yeah," I said, staring at the photo. They were all so happy, seemingly from an alternate universe filled with happy endings. It was impossible not to imagine what our lives could have been, had dark wizards not set out to destroy us. They would be alive- all of them- they would be happy- _we_ would be happy- together.

I took Harry's hand, coaxing him to release the wand into my possession. In its place, I placed the old photo into his hand. He ran his thumb over it as if wiping away a layer of dust that had gathered. I tilted my head to lean on his shoulder and, in time, he wrapped his arm around me.

"Go in, I'll keep watch," I said, lifting my head so he could get up. I sighed, missing the warmth of his body next to mine. It was going to get colder as the night went on, especially since it had begun to snow. Maybe it would be a good thing, the change of scenery. Then again, we'd probably get frostbite if we only had a tent to stay in.

"Hey," Harry said, reappearing from the tent with a blanket. He sat down behind me and wrapped it around the both of us. I basked in his embrace, _well; I must say I prefer this_.

"You know, I do think it's a bit cold out here. Why don't we move somewhere more sheltered… now?"

"Now? It's almost nightfall," he said, taken aback.

"Perfect timing," I smiled as a turned back, planting a kiss on his lips. I think that cleared things up.


	14. Frozen In Fear

Harry's POV

Being this close to Jenny made me more vulnerable, but more importantly, it made her more vulnerable. Ever since Godric's Hollow, Voldemort seemed even closer and more dangerous than before, as if he were lurking in the shadows in the forest. The cloth walls of the tent and protective charms Jenny had cast weren't enough to protect me from my thoughts.

I put on every sweater that I owned and took a cushion to the opening of the tent. The darkness deepened in the passing hours until it was virtually impenetrable. Every movement seemed magnified in the vast darkness of the forest. I knew the forest must have been full of animals, but I wish they would remain still so I could distinguish their innocent scurrying from more sinister movements. I remembered the sound of a cloak slithering over dead leaves many years ago and once I thought I'd heard it again, I shook the thought from my mind. Our protective enchantments had been working all this time; why should they fail now?

Even so, I had a distinct feeling that something was different tonight.

/

Jenny's POV

I woke up to a cool draft creeping past the protective layer of blankets over me. I sat up and pulled stray hairs behind my ear, my eyes finding the source of the breeze. The tent opening had been opened only moments ago, the canvas swaying slightly inward. Pulling on another sweater, I approached the opening cautiously. Whatever awaited me outside, there was a chance it was lethal.

My eyes slowly adjusted to the dark, the silhouettes separating from the silhouette of a man walking into the wood. A soft glow separated him from the dark shadows of the trees as he disappeared into the thick of the forest.

_Harry._

We shouldn't be leaving the protection of the tent and the enchantments around it. Before I could call out to him, he broke into a run and I knew I had no choice.

My feet pounded against the chilled earth as I followed the distant glow between the trees. It was my only source of light and my only way to Harry. I also didn't have my wand or a way to get back to the tent on my own.

I was glad I had slept in my shoes, an idea I had gotten from Luna. She wears them because she sleepwalks, and it seemed like a good idea for spontaneous attacks or chases that might occur.

The light disappeared for a moment, before coming back even stronger. I weaved through the trees to find Harry stripped down to his underwear, staring into the depths of a lake.

"What the hell are you doing, Harry?"

He nearly jumped ten feet in the air at my voice.

"Jenny! I was just…"

"Taking off your clothes on top of a frozen lake while it's below zero? Yeah, I got that"

"The sword- it's down there!"

"What?" I walked forward, standing next to him and peering down at the frosty ice. "_Diffindo"_

The ice cracked with the sound of a bullet in the silence. I stepped back, allowing it to reveal the Sword of Gryffindor lying in the depths of the lake, its shining blade reflecting the moonlight.

/

Harry's POV

The cold was agony: it attacked me like fire. I reached out in the frozen waters toward the sword, my fingers finally finding the hilt and closing tightly around it.

Then something closed around my neck and as I tried to pry it from my flesh, it only seemed to tighten around me. I kicked out wildly, trying to push myself back to the surface as I thrashed, suffocating beneath the surface. Lights burned against my eyelids, I was going to drown, and there was nothing I could do. I had kicked my way to the side of the lake, the opening in the ice far away, now. Jenny wouldn't be able to reach me even if she tried. The arms closing around my chest were surely Death's…

Choking and retching, soaking wet and colder that I had ever been in my life, I came facedown in the snow. When I opened my eyes, I was alone by the lake. I pushed myself up, looking around wildly. Finally, she emerged from the lake, the sword in hand. I couldn't speak- all I could do was stare up at her, teeth chattering, as she stood soaking wet and picked up the horcrux necklace from the ground.

"You didn't take off your clothes," was all I could say.

"I didn't have time- I was too busy trying to save your life," she said before suddenly remembering something. "Shoot!" she pulled her mokeskin pouch up and turned it upside down, a large amount of water pouring out. "I'm probably going to have to dry everything once we get back, but first-" she placed the horcrux on a rock and held out the sword.

"No, you should do it"

"Why?"

"Because Dumbledore left _you_ the sword, _you _were the one to get it from the pool," I stood up and approached the horcrux, "I'm going to open it and you stab it- straight-away, okay? Whatever's in there is going to put up a fight"

"Okay," she said, gripping the sword tightly, her face determined.

"You can do this- I know you can," I said standing a good three feet from the necklace, my eyes locked on the jeweled _S_. "On three. One…two…three…_open_" I hissed, the locket popping open. "Now!"

I watched in horror, for as she lifted the sword, a voice rose from the locket, hissing familiar and treacherous words.

"_I have seen your heart, and it is mine._"

/

Jenny's POV

My eyes grew larger than ever as I watched a dark cloud emerge from the locket, its words dripping with venom.

"_I have seen your heart, and it is mine… I have seen your dreams, Jennifer Bennett, and I have seen your fears. All you desire is possible, but all that you dread is happening. A catalyst of death… how many times have you caused someone you love to die?_"

The cloud formed into my mother, closely followed my Sirius, standing beside her.

"_The future they had together was shattered the moment you were born, your entire family slain, their blood on your hands. Everyone around you falling, one by one"_

The forms began to multiply as more people appeared, their faces losing detail and melding together as they took on a new form: Harry.

"_Your fear will consume you, as will the darkness in your heart_"

It was then that Harry's voice crossed my mind, but it was barely an echo of the billowing Harry before me.

"Stab it! Kill it, Jenny!" Harry called, now on the ground, the force of the horcrux pushing him away.

"_Stab me… kill me…_" it echoed, a cold voice that seemed only half-Harry's came from its mouth.

The sword shook in my hands. If I brought it down, I would be killing Harry. It was a trick… a trick…

"Jenny?"

The sword flashed, plunged- a clang of metal and a long drawn-out scream. My eyes remained open as I stared at the shattered remains of the locket on the rock. The tip of the sword was dipped in the snow, the hilt falling from my hands as Harry placed one hand behind my head and the other around me, pulling me against him. Only when I closed my eyes had I realized I was crying.

"I killed…"

"You killed the horcrux- a part of Voldemort's soul. You didn't kill me- you saved me"

"I saved you," I repeated, my mind clearing as I took it as truth. It only looked like Harry- it wasn't actually him. It didn't even have his voice- it had Voldemort's.

And when I opened my eyes, Harry was there. He was alive, and he was with me. He was safe.

/

Jenny's POV

"_Jenny!_"

I stirred at the sudden noise disrupting my slumber, but bolted up when I realized someone had shouted my name, pushing the hair from my face as my eyes darted around in alert.

"What's wrong? Harry? Are you alright?"

"Actually," she grinned, "I'm not Harry and I'm rather happy about it"

"Hermione!" I hugged her, "What happened? When did you get here? How did you find us? Where's Harry? And Ron?" The questions spilled from my mouth as a long-awaited smile formed across my face.

"Well, when Ron disapparated, I was holding onto him and went with him. We ran into some snatchers and had to hide out in a pub for a bit, by which time you and Harry had moved on to another location. We had to check all of the possible places you could be, and then we had to actually _find_ you. Your protective enchantments are working wonderfully, I might add"

"I'm just glad you're back," I said with a grin, unable to hide my joy, "but where are the boys?"

"Getting food- or trying to"

After a short pause, the sound of laughter grew louder outside of the tent and I scrambled to my feet. When I stepped out into the cool sunlight, Harry and Ron were walking toward me.

Ron saw me coming and stopped to outstretch his arms. I wrapped my arms around him, relieved that he was back and safe. Then I pulled back and smacked him on the head.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"For throwing a tantrum and leaving us!"

"Oh, yeah. I guess I deserved that."

"Did you tell them, yet?" I asked.

"Er- no"

"Tell us what?" Hermione said as she emerged from the tent.

"Long story. Let's go inside, shall we?"

/

Don't forget to take my poll to let me know what you want me to do after this story! Should I write about Michelle and the Marauders? About Harry and Jenny when they have kids? Should I write a whole new story with a new character? Vote now!

Go to my profile and vote on the poll there!


	15. The Deathly Hallows

Don't forget to vote in my poll to let me know what you want me to write! Go to my profile page to vote :)

* * *

><p>Jenny's POV<p>

With Ron and Hermione back, the sword in possession, and a horcrux destroyed, it was hard not to walk around smiling. We were making progress and it had all of our spirits lifted.

Harry and Ron were out searching for clean water and mushrooms to eat while Hermione and Jenny stayed at camp discussing their journey. They discussed the sudden turn for the better, the appearance of the mysterious doe, the recovery of Gryffindor's sword, and filling each other in on what happened while they were separated.

"And this charm," Jenny continued to fill Hermione in, "I only really noticed it recently, but I've been thinking about it and I think Dumbledore gave it to me. Last Christmas, I found a note that said, '_I hope you find my gift charming and unearthing._' Now that I've found this, it all seems to make sense"

"Jenny, I've seen that symbol before. It's in the cover of the book Dumbledore gave me- he must have inked it in," she said, showing me her copy of _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_. Inside the cover was the same symbol. A circle within a triangle divided in half by a vertical line. "And didn't Xenophelius Lovegood wear this symbol around his neck at Fleur and Bill's wedding?"

The wedding seemed ages ago, but now that she brought it up, I remembered the symbol's appearance.

"Well, maybe that's where we ought to go next. We'll be at a standstill if we don't do something, and all of these signs point to Mr. Lovegood for more information"

"Signs?"

"The symbol in the book Dumbledore gave Hermione, the charm Dumbledore gave me, the symbol on the grave in Godric's Hollow, and the symbol around Mr. Lovegood's neck- they're all the same."

/

Harry's POV

After apparating to the field where the Burrow was, we stared at it for a moment, blocking the sun with our hands.

"It's weird… being back and not being able to visit," Ron said.

"Come on… we should be going," Hermione insisted, "and you should wear the cloak, Harry. We're travelling in broad daylight, here"

At her insistence, I wore the invisibility cloak as we walked. We went on for hours, trekking along over a cluster of small hills until we reached a small cottage, which seemed deserted.

"Think they've gone away for Christmas?" Hermione asked as we approached the small house, a neat row of flowers along the window.

"For some reason, I can't see Luna living in this sort of place, let alone her father. Let's keep moving," Jenny said.

So we dissaparated a few miles north.

"Aha!" Ron cheered, pointing toward an odd house atop the hill. It was exceptionally strange looking- it raised vertically like a great black cylinder with a ghostly moon behind it in the afternoon sky. "That's got to be it! It looks like a giant rook!"

"It's nothing like a bird, Ronald," Hermione frowned.

"I was talking about a chess rook," Ron said, "a castle, to you."

We followed the zig-zagged path through a garden of odd plants, including a bush with raddish-like fruits Luna sometimes wore as earrings. As we approached, a sign appeared: _KEEP OFF THE DERIGIBLE PLUMS_.

"You'd better take off the cloak now, Harry. You're the one he wants to help," Jenny said as we came to the door. I took off the cloak and handed it to her to put in her bag. Jenny knocked on the door and, not ten seconds later, a very unkempt and frazzled Xenophilius Lovegood answered.

"What is it? Who are you? What do you want?"

"Hello, Mr. Lovegood. I'm Harry, Harry Potter," I held out my hand, but he did nothing but stare at my scar. "Can we come in? We have something we'd like to ask you- it won't take long"

"Fine- come in. _Quickly_!" he said, slamming the door shut the moment we were inside. "You'd better come up," he said as he started to climb the spiral staircase in the middle of the room. It was hard not to just stay downstairs and stare at all of the peculiar things in his kitchen. Once upstairs, however, I found I was in an even more cluttered and peculiar room filled with piles of books and papers that served as a sort of labyrinth. Models of creatures I didn't recognize hung from the ceiling and unexplainable objects were all about the room.

"So, why exactly have you come here Mr. Potter?"

"We need some help," I explained.

"Help… The thing is… helping Harry Potter… rather dangerous…"

"But you said yourself, in _The Quibbler_, that your priority is to help Harry," Jenny reasoned.

"Er- yes- I have expressed that view, however-"

"That's for others to do, and not you personally?" Ron argued.

"Where's Luna?" Hermione asked, "Let's see what she thinks."

"S-she's down at the stream fishing for Freshwater Plimpies… I'll go and call her and then- very well, I shall try to help you"

He disappeared down the staircase and at the sound of the front door shutting, we all looked at each other.

"Cowardly old wart, Luna's got ten times his guts," Ron said.

"He's probably just worried about if Death Eaters find out," I reasoned.

"I agree with Ron," Hermione said, "awful old hypocrite, telling everyone to help you and then trying to worm his way out of here"

"Jenny?" We all turned to her. She seemed deep in thought, completely unaware of our gossips.

"Sorry," she turned back to us, "I was just looking at that statue over there. The one of the woman with the headdress- the one with the radishes"

"That's Rowena Ravenclaw- _Wit beyond measure is a man's greatest treasure!_" Mr. Lovegood appeared with no forewarning.

"Mr. Lovegood- I didn't hear you come in," Jenny said, startled by his appearance.

"Yes- well- my footsteps must be cushioned by my boots. Tea?" he asked, "we do the infusion of Gurdyroots ourselves." He poured us all tea and sat down on a chair. "Now, what is it I can do for you, Mr. Potter?"

"Well," I glanced at Hermione, who nodded, "it's about that symbol you were wearing around your neck at Bill and Fleur's wedding"

Xenophilius raised his eyebrows.

"Are you referring to the sign of the Deathly Hallows?"

/

Jenny's POV

_The Deathly Hallows?_ I looked at the others, but they seemed as confused as I was.

"Sir, what are the Deathly Hallows?" I asked.

"I'm not surprised you haven't heard of them. Very _very_ few wizards believe," he took a drink of tea. To be polite, I took a sip as well, only to find myself pursing my lips in distaste.

"But what _are_ they?" Hermione asked, realizing he thought he had explained enough already.

"I assume you're all familiar with the Tale of the Three Brothers?"

Ron, Hermione, and I all said yes, but Harry said no, so Mr. Lovegood explained.

"The whole thing starts with it… I've got a copy around here somewhere…"

"Here, I've got one with me," Hermione pulled out the _Tales of Beedle the Bard_ from her bag.

"The original?" he asked. Hermione nodded. "Very well- best read it out loud"

She opened the book and began reading the tale aloud. I had already read the tale earlier, when Hermione had gotten the book from Dumbledore's will, but I listened anyway. She told us of the three brothers and how they had used their magic to pass a river. Death felt cheated, but sought revenge in a more cunning way, and gave them each a gift of their choice. The eldest brother asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence and Death carved the Elder Wand. The second brother wanted to humiliate death, so he asked to be able to call others from Death. Death gave him the Resurrection Stone. The third brother was the humblest and wisest of the three and did not trust Death, so he asked to be able to leave that place without being followed by Death. Death gave him his own Cloak of Invisibility. The first brother boasted of his ultimate weapon and, later that night, another wizard took the wand and killed the brother. The second brother turned the Resurrection Stone thrice in hand and his deceased fiancé appeared, but she was sad and cold and suffered, for she didn't belong in his world. The second brother killed himself to join her- and Death took the second brother. Death was never able to find the third brother, however. It was only when the brother passed on his cloak to his son that he greeted Death as an old friend and went with him as an equal as he departed from his life.

"Well there you are," Mr. Lovegood said, simple as can be.

"Sorry?" Hermione said, confused.

"Those are the Deathly Hallows," he said, taking a pen and paper in hand. "The Elder Wand," he drew a straight vertical line. "The Resurrection Stone," he drew a circle on top of the line. "The Cloak of Invisibility," he drew a triangle around them, enclosing the symbol. "Together, they are the Deathly Hallows. Any who possessed all three will be a master of Death."

"You mean- you actually believe this?" Hermione raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"You, young lady- Luna told me all about you. Bright- intelligent- but terribly close-minded," he frowned.

"We all know that there are such things as Invisibility Cloaks, they're rare, but-"

"Ah, but the third Hallow is a _true_ Cloak of Invisibility, Miss Granger! Not some cloth under the Disillusionment Charm or Bedazzling Hex- a cloak that renders the wearer completely invisible no matter what spells are cast upon it. How many cloaks have you seen like _that_, Miss Granger?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but closed it again. I glanced at Harry as I adjusted the strap on my pouch. It just so happened that a cloak exactly like the one he described was inside of it.

"S-say the cloak does exist. What about the stone? Do you expect me to throw all the pebbles in the world three times to test them?" Hermione asked.

"Of course not- the stone has the symbol of the Deathly Hallows in it- completely rare in its kind- there is only one," Mr. Lovegood explained.

"What about the wand?" Harry asked.

"Well, that's the easiest one to trace, as it's passed hand-to-hand. The possessor must capture it from the previous owner to be a true master of it."

"What of the Peverells?" I asked, "What to they have to do with the Deathly Hallows?"

"They have everything to do with the Hallows! Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus Peverell were the original owners of the Deathly Hallows!"

He looked out the window before heading downstairs.

"I think it's just an old morality tale. It's obvious, which gift you'd choose-"

Hermione said, "the cloak," Ron said, "the wand," and Harry said, "the stone."

"You're supposed to say the cloak," Ron said, "but if you had the wand, you wouldn't need it. An _unbeatable_ wand, Hermione! Come on!"

"It would only do you good if you could keep your trap shut about it," Hermione said. "Why'd you say the stone, Harry?"

My eyes widened as I came to a realization. I looked down at the ring on my finger, the old horcrux, and saw that familiar symbol inside of the stone.

"Because we could bring back people who've died… Sirius… Moody… Dumbledore… my parents… Jenny's-" they stopped short when they looked at me.

I stared at the stone on my finger- the Resurrection Stone.

"I think we ought to be leaving-"

"NO!" Mr. Lovegood shouted. "You can't leave… you can't…"

"Mr. Lovegood- where is Luna?" Harry asked.

"They took her… perhaps they would return her if I-"

"Traded her for Harry? No; absolutely not. We're leaving," Ron said, starting for the door.

"Harry!" I screamed, dark figures on brooms flying past the windows. Harry tackled me to the ground as Mr. Lovegood shot a spell, followed by a colossal explosion. Fragments of paper and wood flew in all directions while clouding us with thick dust. The sound of a body tumbling down the staircase and Hermione's scream frightened me, and I reached out to find the others. Somehow we found each other and, once we were all holding each other's hands, we disapparated.


	16. Captive

Harry's POV

"I hope Luna's alright," Jenny said, her face white and cold.

"She's tough, Luna- tougher than you'd think. She's probably teaching all of the inmates about Wrackspurts and Nargles," I said, not bearing to contemplate the alternative. I frowned, however, when Jenny seemed just as down as before, even after my lighthearted remark.

"Why did we go there? It was such a waste of time!" Hermione exhaled in frustration.

"Not exactly," Jenny said, holding out her hand.

"What?" Ron said, completely baffled at why her hand would be important.

"The ring?" I asked, taking a closer look.

"The Resurrection Stone," she said as Hermione took her hand from me to get a closer look. She was speechless, but Ron didn't bother to hide his excitement.

"We've got two of the three! It's brilliant! We're two-thirds masters of Death! One more and You-Know-Who won't stand a chance!"

"We still have the horcruxes, Ron," Hermione said.

"Which will be cake to the owners of the Deathly Hollows," he grinned. "This is brilliant, isn't it? Why don't you look happy, Jenny? Harry? Harry, isn't this great news?" Ron asked, confused.

"If this ring is the Resurrection Stone…" I trailed off with thought.

"In the memory, Marvolo Gaunt had a ring with the crest of the Peverells…" Jenny continued.

"Then it was passed down through the Gaunt line…"

"Voldemort made it a horcrux…"

"Wait- hold on- I'm lost," Ron cut in. "What are you two going on about?"

"Hermione, remember that night at Hogwarts, when you saw my father's name?" Jenny said, looking at Hermione.

"It said Alaric Gaunt, but- of course! That's it, isn't it?"

"Sorry- I still have no clue what's going on," Ron said.

"Jenny took her mother's maiden name, Bennett, and Alaric must have used it so she'd recognize him. He's actually a descendent of the Gaunt family, which explains why Jenny is the only one who could wear the horcrux, because it was cursed to all but the Gaunts!"

"So… is You-Know-Who Jenny's uncle or something?" he said, still confused.

"No," she said, frustrated by his lack of comprehension, but also thrilled to be explaining her knowledge. "Voldemort was just calling him Alaric _Bennett_ because he didn't want anyone to know…"

"Why would he want it kept a secret?" I asked. Hermione seemed at a loss for words.

"I- I don't know"

We fell silent as we contemplated what the secret could mean and what sort of plans he had that required it.

/

Jenny's POV

I sat by the radio, staring at it as Lee Jordan announced the names of the latest and most recent deceased. The tent fell silent in tribute to them, pressing down on us until Kingsley began talking.

"Muggles remain ignorant to the source of their suffering and casualties, however, we continue to hear truly inspiring stories of wizards and witches risking their lives to protect their Muggle friends and neighbors, often without the Muggle's knowledge. I'd like to implore all of our listeners to cast simple protective enchantments over their neighborhoods. Even simple measures such as this could save many lives."

"What do you say to those out there who would say _save wizards first_?" Lee asked.

"I'd say it's one step short of _purebloods first_ and then to _Death Eaters first_. We're all human, aren't we?"

"Well put. You've got my vote for Minister of Magic if we ever get out of this mess. Now, to turn over to Romulus"

_That must be Lupin's code name!_

"Romulus, do you still believe Harry Potter is alive?"

"I do," Lupin said firmly, "There is no doubt in my mind that he is still alive. If he had died, the Death Eaters would have made it known, for _The_ _Boy Who Lived _remains the symbol of everything that we're fighting for: good, innocence, and the need to keep resisting. If you're out there listening, Harry, we're all with you in spirit and- follow your instincts, they're good and nearly always right"

"Nearly always right," I repeated softly, my mind wandering.

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" Ron jumped in, "Bill told me that Lupin's living with Meghan! Apparently she's getting pretty big, too…"

Tears welled in my eyes and I strived to keep my eyes locked on the radio. Fred came on after a short argument over his code name.

"What's with all of this stuff about Voldemort's death vision? That's a _basilisk_, listeners. Next time, check to see if the thing staring at you has got legs. If it does, you're safe to look in its eyes, though that'll probably be the last thing you do."

For the first time in weeks, Harry was laughing. I smiled at his warmth, but the next question cut it short.

"And the rumors that he was sighted abroad?" Lee asked Fred.

"Well, who wouldn't want a nice little holiday after all of the hard work he's been doing? The point is, don't think you're safe because you think he's out of the country. The fact remains that he can move faster than Severus Snape when confronted with shampoo when he wants to; so don't take any risks. Odd as it sounds coming from me- safety first!"

"And that concludes this _Potterwatch_. We don't know when we'll broadcast again, but stay tuned for more. The next password will be _Mad-eye_. Keep each other safe- good night."

"Did you hear what Fred said?" Harry asked excitedly, "he's abroad! He's looking for the wand!"

"Harry, he could have been looking for Jenny. She was at her old home in America when he was sighted"

"He didn't get her, though, did he? And there's multiple sightings- he's been looking around there, I know it! Voldemort's-"

"HARRY, NO!" I shouted. Too late.

"Harry, the name's taboo!" Ron shouted as he jumped to his feet as a loud crack sounded outside of the tent. Ron flicked the deluminator and the lights went out. Harry, Ron, and Hermione quickly became silhouettes as we fell into silence.

/

Harry's POV

A bang of white light hit my face out of nowhere and my face swelled as Death Eaters stormed into the tent. My glasses fell from my face as rough hands pulled me from the floor and forced me to walk. My eyes were reduced to slits from the swelling and I was without any sense of direction.

"Come on, Vermin!" one of them shouted as they took us out of the tent and threw us on the ground. "What happened to you, ugly?" he asked, shining a light on my face.

I didn't answer immediately.

"I _said_," I received a blow to the diaphragm.

"No! Leave him alone!" Jenny screamed.

"Your boyfriend's going to get a lot worse done to him if he's on my list… delicious girl… I do enjoy the softness of the skin-" _Greyback_.

"Stung!" I shouted, hoping to draw attention away from her, "I was stung."

"What's your name?"

"Dudley… Vernon, Dudley"

"And you, ginger?"

"Stan Shunpike," Ron said.

"Like hell you are," there was a crack of knuckles against bone.

"I'm Bardy- Bardy Weasley," Ron said, his voice gargled as his mouth filled with blood.

"And you?"

"Penelope Clearwater," Hermione replied.

"Blood status?"

"Half-blood"

"And you, my pretty little-"

"Hannah Abbott, half-blood"

"Look at this!" one of them shouted, coming to meet the others with a newspaper. "_Jennifer Bennett, known to be travelling with Harry Potter_… this picture looks an awful lot like you, girlie"

"It's not me- it's not!"

I could hardly see a thing, but I could tell one of them as approaching me.

"I thought Harry Potter wore glasses?"

"He does!" Jenny shouted. "Dudley doesn't wear any-"

"I found some glasses in the tent!"

"T-those are mine- for reading," Hermione added.

In a moment they were shoved onto my face. "It's him! It's Potter!"

"Should we take him to the Ministry?"

"To hell with the ministry. We'll take Potter straight to You-Know-Who himself… He's been using Malfoy Manor as a base- we'll go there"

"And what about the rest of 'em?"

"Might as well take the lot," he said as he dragged me toward them. "On three: one- two- three-"

/

Jenny's POV

They dragged us toward the gate, which curled angrily when they tried to pass.

"State your purpose," a dark voice asked.

"We've got Potter! We've captured Harry Potter!" the words stung like salt in an open wound.

The gate swung open and they took us into the Manor. They shoved us onto the ground as the doors opened.

"Who're you?" a cold voice rang clearly. I tried to get a good look at her without twisting my neck. She was tall and had long blonde hair not unlike Draco's.

"You know who I am!" he spat resentfully, "Fenrir Greyback! We've caught Harry Potter!" he grabbed Harry by a fistful of hair and held his face up to the light.

"I know he's swollen up, but if you look at him he's got the scar and that girl is that Bennett girl that's been traveling with him"

She looked down at me, her expression unreadable.

"Bring them in," she turned and began walking. "My son Draco is home for the Easter holidays. If that is Harry Potter, he will know"

They lined us up, letting us stand, now, as Narcissa Malfoy returned with Draco and Lucius.

"Well, Draco?" Lucius asked avidly, "is it him? Is it Harry Potter?"

"I- I can't be sure," Draco said, keeping his distance from Greyback and avoiding looking directly at Harry.

"Look at him carefully- go closer!"

I had never thought Lucius could sound so excited.

"Draco, if we're the ones to hand over Potter-"

"We won't forget who actually caught him, will we, Mr. Malfoy?" Greyback said in a light way, but a menacing threat clung beneath his words.

"Of course not," Lucius replied impatiently, bypassing Greyback as if he were an annoying fly buzzing around his ears and went to examine Harry himself. "Draco, come!" they both stood so close to Harry that fear rose within me. I couldn't see him anymore. I couldn't see their faces. What if they recognized him?

"I don't know," Draco finally said and went to stand by his mother near the fireplace.

"We had better be certain, Lucius, or else… remember what he did to Rowle and Dolohov?" Narcissa warned carefully.

"What about the girl, then? It's her, isn't it?" Lucius said, moving toward me to get a closer look.

"I… I can't be sure…"

"What's this?" another woman entered, "what's happened, Cissy?"

Bellatrix Lestrange walked slowly around us like a vulture circling its prey.

"This is the mudblood, isn't it? This is Granger?" she said, staring down Hermione.

"Yes! Yes! It's Potter and his friends- caught at last!" Lucius exclaimed.

"Potter? Are you sure?" she turned to Harry, "then the Dark Lord must be informed at once!" she pulled back her sleeve to reveal her dark mark burning her flesh. Voldemort was so close… once she touched her arm…

"I was about to call him!" Lucius said, stopping her with a hand over her arm. "_I_ will call him, Bella. We're in my house, under my authority-"

"Your authority?" she sneered, "you lost your authority when you lost your wand, Lucius!"

If this were a movie, now, during a power struggle, would be the most prudent time to make our escape. This is not, however, a movie. This is real life and we are inside the Malfoy Manor, wandless, captured in a room filled with armed and exceedingly dangerous Death Eaters. We couldn't just slip out the back door and walk away. We're screwed. Totally and completely screwed.

"This has nothing to do with you- you didn't capture the boy-"

"Excuse me, Mr. Malfoy," Greyback intercepted, "but it's us that actually caught Potter and it's us that'll be claiming the gold-"

"Gold?" Bellatrix laughed. "Take your petty gold- It's nothing compared to the honor of-" she stopped as her eyes fixed on Lucius, his finger hovering over his Dark Mark. "STOP! We'll be killed if you call him now!" Lucius stopped his finger from moving another inch as Bellatrix turned again. "What's that? Where did you get that?"

"The sword? Found it in their tent- reckon it's mine, now," the snatcher grinned.

There was a bang and a flash of red light as Bellatrix took out every last snatcher without hesitation. She was incredible; they were no match for her prodigious skills and lack of conscience. They fell where they stood as if they were nothing. They _were_ nothing, under her wandpoint.

"Move the vermin outside, Draco. If you don't have the guts to finish them, I'll do it myself," Bellatrix said, picking up the sword.

"How _dare_ you talk to Draco like that-" Narcissa said furiously.

"Be quiet! We have a serious problem, Cissy!" Bellatrix shrieked. She lifted her head slowly from examining the hilt of the sword. "Severus Snape moved this sword to my vault," she muttered, "if it is Potter, he must not be harmed, but if he finds out, I must…" she paused before turning to her sister. "Put the boys in the cellar- we'll start with the girls"

"No!" they struggled but were taken downstairs. I felt my lip tremble as I realized this might very well be the last time I see Harry.

"I'll take the mudblood," Bellatrix said, dragging Hermione away by her hair. She whimpered as she was taken away, her face filled with fear as she looked helplessly at me.

"Come with me," Narcissa said from behind me. I jumped a little, but was grateful that she wasn't as violent as Bellatrix and allowed me to walk. I felt powerless following her, unable to run, to help my friends. She might as well be dragging me by my hair with my hands bound. She sat down in a chair and stared at me with her cold blue eyes. "If you're who I think you are, I know you won't tell me." She paused to see if I'd respond, but I didn't know what to do. I was scared that if I spoke, I'd give myself away.

In the distance, I could hear Hermione screaming as Bellatrix tortured her, setting me on edge. "I'm not barbaric like Bella, I much prefer to talk than to torture," she said, seemingly examining me with her eyes. "You helped my son"

I tore my eyes from the door and looked at her. This was far from what I expected. Did she really care more about her son than she feared Voldemort?

"_Filthy Mudblood! Tell the truth or I swear I'll run you through with this knife!_" Bellatrix shrieked. I jumped, about to bolt through the door by instinct, but the lock on it clicked shut. I looked back to Narcissa, who retained composure.

"Please, sit. I don't wish to harm you. Here," she said, handing my mokeskin pouch back to me. Was this some sort of peace offering?

"I don't understand- you're a Death Eater, aren't you?"

"No, no I'm not. I only care for my husband and son's safety- nothing else"

"_Crucio!_" Hermione's screams echoed through the Manor. I couldn't stop tears from coming to my eyes.

"Then let us go! Stop this, please!"

"I can't help your friends," she said, "but I can help you. Stay with us here and I can assure you that you will be safe"


	17. A Free Elf

Harry's POV

Hermione's screams had Ron banging against the stone walls of the cellar. I, however, was more concerned that I hadn't heard a thing from Jenny. A scream is a sign that she's alive, but only Hermione's voice echoed through the dungeons. I had tried to call for help in a shard left from my two-way mirror, I had even seen a flash of a blue eye, but it belonged to Dumbledore, which did little but confuse me.

Suddenly, Dobby appeared.

"Dobby! How did you-"

"Dobby came to rescue Harry Potter!" the little elf said, his eyes wide.

"Can you apparate in here?"

"Of course, sir, I'm an elf!"

"Good- then I want you to take Luna and Mr. Ollivander to Shell Cottage, then come back for us, can you do that?"

"Certainly, sir!" he said as Luna and Ollivander stood by his side.

"Whenever you're ready, sir," Luna smiled down at him.

"Sir? I like her!" Dobby said with excitement. He took their hands and left as quickly as he came.

Soon, heavy footsteps pounded down the stairs as Wormtail approached.

"We'll have to tackle him, get ready, Ron," I said as I backed up against the wall to conceal myself. Suddenly, his body came tumbling down the stairs, busting the door open. I looked up to see Dobby standing triumphantly at the top.

"Who gets his wand?" he asked, holding the wooden stick in his tiny hand. Ron and I looked at each other, and then leaving Wormtail's body behind, ran upstairs. Once near enough, we treaded carefully, as quietly as possible.

"Not worth much anymore, now are we?" Bellatrix said, standing over Hermione's limp form. "Filthy mudblood. You'll be first to die-"

"Expelliarmus!" Jenny bolted into the room, Bellatrix's wand flying into her hand. Ron and I didn't hesitate to barge in on the battle. Jets of light flew around the room as the battle ensued.

"STOP OR SHE DIES!"

Bellatrix was holding a silver dagger to Hermione's throat.

"Drop your wands," she whispered, "drop them or we'll see how filthy her blood is!"

The room as silent as our only weapons fell to the floor.

/

Jenny's POV

"Good," Bellatrix said, "Draco, pick them up! The Dark Lord is coming, Harry Potter! Your death approaches!"

I stood rigid as I looked back at Harry, his face now back to normal. There was no denying his identity, now. I watched his face cringe in pain as his scar burned, anticipating Voldemort's arrival. I looked down at Draco as he bent at my feet to pick up Bellatrix's wand, still avoiding eye contact.

There was a peculiar grinding noise coming from above. Everyone turned to look in time to see the chandelier tremble then, with one final creak, it fell. Bellatrix parted from Hermione, shrieking as she ran. Hermione fell forward into Ron's arms as he pulled her away. The glass shards flew in all directions; Draco dropped the wands to cover his face. I grabbed the wands from the ground, ignoring the pain from the glass shards, and pointed them all at Greyback, shouting _stupefy_. The triple spells sent him flying, smashing against the ceiling, and back to the ground, completely limp. I threw a wand at Harry who caught it and disarmed Lucius. Narcissa ran toward me to drag Draco from the chaos and I allowed them to go past me. I ran toward Harry as Ron and Hermione came toward us, gathering around Dobby and Griphook the goblin.

"You dirty little monkey! You could have killed me!"

"Dobby never meant to kill- only to maim or seriously injure," Dobby squealed.

"How _dare_ you! How dare you defy your masters!" Bellatrix shrieked.

"Dobby has no master!" he straightened, standing tall, "Dobby is a free elf! Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!" I grabbed onto Harry and we disapparated. As I turned into the darkness I caught one last view of the pale frozen figures of Narcissa and Draco, the streak of red that was Ron's hair, and the silver of Bellatrix's dagger as it flew across the room toward the very spot we were vanishing-

I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting to hit the ground. We hit the solid earth and smelled the salty air- that must mean we had reached Shell Cottage. I had fallen to my knees and pushed myself up when I had regained balance in my new location.

"You alright?" I asked as I helped Griphook to his feet. He grunted in reply, but that was about it. As a raised my eyes from the goblin I spotted a cottage nearby, the dark night sky behind it, stars casting upon silhouettes of figures moving outside of it. I waved, assuming they were Bill and Fleur coming to greet us. I turned around, expecting to see Harry rising to his feet, but was shocked to see him staring at Dobby.

"DOBBY!"

The elf swayed slightly, his wide shining eyes reflecting the stars above him. I felt myself freeze as I looked at the silver hilt of the dagger sticking out of his chest.

"Dobby- no! Help! HELP!" Harry shouted toward the cottage. Dobby stretched his arms out toward Harry as he swayed and Harry caught him without a second's delay. "No, Dobby, don't die- please, don't die-"

"Such a beautiful place to be with friends… Dobby is happy to be with his friend… Harry… Potter"

And then, with a little shudder, the little elf became quite still, his tennis-ball green eyes sprinkled with tiny lights from the stars they could no longer see.

/

Harry's POV

I was sinking into an old nightmare, the memory of leaning over Dumbledore's death seeping into reality once more. My voice was still saying "Dobby…_Dobby_…" even though I knew the elf had gone where he could not be called back. Just as she had been here for me when Dumbledore died, Jenny now kneeled across from me, the small limp body in between us. Jenny was always there to help, to put things right when they'd gone wrong, to heal me when I'd been hurt. "Jenny… Jenny, do something-"

"Harry-" her voice cracked, her eyes shining with tears.

"Please… there has to be something… in your bag… a spell or…"

"I'm so sorry, Harry, but there's nothing…"

We sat there in silence for a moment, my eyes fixed on the wet stain on Dobby's chest. Jenny's hands, slow and trembling, closed around the silver hilt, pulling the sharp blade from the elf's body and setting it on the sand. She curled her hands under Dobby's limp form and I removed my jacket to cover him like a blanket.

"I want to do it properly," I said, the first words I had said in some time, "without magic."

"Bill, do you have a shovel?" Jenny asked, looking up behind me. I stood, following him as he fetched the spade. He grabbed one for himself, but I stopped him.

"I want to do it myself, if that's okay," I said, taking the spade and walking back toward Jenny. She cradled Dobby like a baby in her arms as she stood at the foot of the grassy hill. She followed me as I searched for a good spot, deciding on the top of the hill. I dug into the earth, relishing in the manual work, for every drop of sweat, every blister, felt like a gift to the elf who had saved our lives.

I had lost track of time. I only noticed it had begun to get brighter when I was deep in the earth. Jenny had to call me back.

"Harry, it's time," she said, still standing as she had when I began. I climbed out of the grave I had dug. It was deeper than necessary for such a small corpse, but if size were determined by merit, it was hardly satisfactory for me. Hermione, Ron, Bill, Fleur, and Luna had gathered at a close distance to pay their respects for the brave elf. Ron sat down at the edge of the grave and took off his shoes and socks before standing to put them on Dobby's feet. Hermione approached with a woolen hat and pulled it down over Dobby's ears with it. I stood in front of Jenny- she carefully passed him into my arms. "We should close his eyes," she said softly, gently pulling his eyelids down over his glassy stare.

I placed the elf into the grave, arranging his limbs so it appeared as if he was sleeping. I forced myself to keep myself together as memories of Dumbledore's funeral came rushing back.

"Thank you, Dobby, for rescuing me from that cellar," Luna said.

"Thank you, Dobby, for saving me from Bellatrix," Hermione said before looking at Ron expectantly.

"Yeah, thanks, Dobby," he said, nodding down at him.

"It's unfair that you had to die when you were so good and brave. I'll always remember what you did for us. I hope you're happy, Dobby," Jenny said solemnly.

My goodbye caught in my throat, "Goodbye Dobby."

It was all I could manage, but Jenny had said it all for me already. As the soft earth began to cover the elf, they began to trickle back to the cottage one by one until I was left alone beside the elf.

"Harry?" Jenny asked in a strained voice. I turned to see her carrying a large flat stone up the hill. It was perfect, rounded and white from the sea, almost a stone pillow. I took the rock from her and placed it over the place where Dobby's head rested. I took one of the captured wands from the manor and pointed it at the stone. When I was done, it read:

HERE LIES DOBBY, A FREE ELF.

/

Jenny's POV

"Jenny, I need you!" Harry called from one of the guest rooms. I had just washed the blood and dirt from my arms and face in the kitchen. I sat down next to Harry while Griphook sat on the side of his bed.

"You probably don't remember-" Harry began.

"That I was the goblin who first showed you to your vault the first time you visited Gringotts?" Griphook replied, "I remember well, Harry Potter."

We sat in silence for a moment before Griphook spoke again.

"You buried the elf."

"Yes," Harry replied.

"You are a very unusual wizard, Harry Potter"

"In what way?" Harry asked, rubbing his scar absently.

"You dug the grave."

"So?" Harry asked with no response. "Griphook, I need to ask-"

"You also rescued a goblin."

"What?"

"You brought me here- you saved me." Griphook twirled his thin black beard around his finger. "You are a very odd wizard."

"Right, well, I need some help, Griphook"

The goblin's expression did not alter.

"We need to break into Gringott's vault-" Harry blurted, his hand now pressed to his forehead.

"Harry-" I started, but was cut off by Griphook.

"Break into Gringott's? Impossible."

"No it isn't, it's been done," I said, "seven years ago."

"That vault was empty, minimal protection-"

"Well the one we need to get into has heavy protection, it belongs to the Lestranges. I'm not breaking in to take anything for personal gain, can you believe that?"

I had no previous knowledge of this plan and was caught off guard by the entire thing.

"If there was a wizard of whom I would believe that, it would be you, Harry Potter," Griphook finally said, "Goblins and elves are hardly ever shown the protection and respect you have show this night. What is it that you seek in the Lestranges' vault? That sword there is the real one, the one inside the vault is a fake," he said, gesturing to the sword leaning against his chair.

"But the sword isn't the only thing in there… there's other things you've seen in there, right?"

"…it is against our code to speak of things we protect, so many of them crafted by our own hands…" he stroked the sword's hilt as it leaned against the bed, he looked up at us, "so young to be fighting so many…"

"You're our only chance. We need you. Will you help us?" Harry asked.

"I shall think about it."

"Thank you," I said, feeling as if we had accomplished something, though I hardly knew what.

"Now, if you'll forgive me, I'd like to get some rest," he said, standing up.

"Of course," Harry said, taking the sword before leaving the room. Griphook didn't protest, but I could sense resentment as I shut the door behind us.

"Harry," I said, "is there a horcrux in the Lestrange vault?"

"Yes," he replied, "Bellatrix was terrified when she though we had been in there. What had she thought we'd seen? What we might have taken?"

"He didn't tell her it was a horcrux, though, I'm sure. He probably told her it was something of great value to him and told her to keep it in Gringotts. It's the safest place, except Hogwarts, right?" Harry cringed at the name of our old school. "Harry, what is it?"

"It's just… he's there, Jenny, right now… at Hogwarts."


	18. To New Beginnings

Harry's POV

My scar throbbed as I spoke to Ollivander. There was hardly any time left before Voldemort reached his goal. I was running out of time, but I was certain made the right decision by speaking to Griphook first.

"I need some help, Mr. Ollivander"

"Anything, my dear boy. I thought I was going to die in that awful place, whatever you need to show my thanks"

"Can you mend this?" I asked, holding out the two halves of my broken wand. Jenny didn't know, but I still kept it in hopes of somehow mending it.

"Holly and phoenix feather," he said in a quivering voice, "I'm so sorry, but I know no means to repair anything damaged to this extent"

"Can you identify these wands, sir?" Jenny asked, taking a captured wand from her pocket.

"Walnut and Dragon heartstring, this one was Bellatrix Lestrange's… this one is Hawthorn and unicorn hair. This was the wand of Draco Malfoy"

"Was?" Jenny asked.

"If you took it-"

"I did-"

"Then it may be yours. Of course, the manner of taking matters, but in general, if a wand has been won, its allegiance will change"

"The wand chooses the wizard…"

"That's right, Miss Bennett, just like that basilisk wand chose you those years ago. It sensed you had the right lineage to control it"

"Mr. Ollivander, I was wondering… how did you come across that wand?"

"A man gave it to me. I don't believe he told me his name. This kind of wand, Miss Bennett, is hard to come by. Rare is the beast itself, but to kill a basilisk… it's nearly unheard of. Even more rare is it for a wizard to simply give it away without a purpose."

"Mr. Ollivander," I cut in, "is it necessary to kill the owner of a wand to completely own it?"

"…Is it necessary? No, no, it's not necessary to kill…"

"There are legends, though, about a wand that is passed hand to hand by murder."

Ollivander turned pale at this, knowing full well Harry was asking about the Elder Wand.

"Only one wand, I think"

"And You-Know-Who is after it, isn't he?"

"I- how?" Ollivander croaked nervously, looking at Jenny almost pleadingly.

"He wanted you to tell him how to overcome the connection between our wands"

"H-he tortured me- you must understand! The Cruciatus Curse- I- I had no choice- I had to tell him what I knew- what I guessed!"

"I understand," I said, "you told him about the twin cores- to borrow another's wand?"

He looked horrified- transfixed- at how much I knew. He nodded slowly and I continued.

"But it didn't work- my wand still beat his borrowed wand. Do you know why that is?"

"I do not know… I've never come across anything like this before…"

"Then he asked about the Elder Wand, didn't he?"

"Yes, he asked," Ollivander whispered. Jenny glanced at me as he continued, "The Dark Lord had always been happy with the wand I had made him, until he found out about the twin cores. Now he seeks the only wand that can defeat yours"

"But he'll know soon, if he doesn't already, that my wand is broken beyond repair-"

"The Dark Lord no longer seeks the Elder Wand just for your destruction. He desires it because he believes it will make him truly invulnerable"

"Will it?" she asked fearfully.

"The owner of the Elder Wand must always be vigilant for fear of attack, but the idea of the Dark Lord in possession…" his expression was grim as his voice trailed off.

"Does the Elder Wand always pass by murder?"

"That I do not know- there are gaps where the wand went temporarily missing or hidden…"

"You told You-Know-Who that Gregorovitch had the wand?"

"It was a rumor, he thought it would be good for business, I suppose-"

"Yes, I can see that. Just one more thing, Mr. Ollivander, what do you know about the Deathly Hallows?"

"The what? I don't know what you're talking about- does it have something to do with wands?"

My face fell as I realized Ollivander wasn't acting.

"Thank you so much for your help, we'll let you sleep now, Mr. Ollivander," Jenny said, standing from her chair.

"He was torturing me!" he gasped suddenly, "the Cruciatus Curse! You have no idea"

"I do," I said, "I really do. Please, get some rest. Good night."

When we left Ollivander's room we went to find Ron and Hermione. After a long day with Bellatrix, she was asleep and trying to recover. We found Ron in the kitchen, however, and filled him in on what we had learned.

"I don't think Dumbledore wanted you to have it, Harry," Jenny said.

"Wait- what? You know where it is? Let's go get it, then!"

"No, Jenny's right, Dumbledore wanted me to get the horcruxes, not the wand"

"The _unbeatable_ wand, Harry!" Ron moaned.

Suddenly, I was no longer at Shell Cottage, I was striding through the grounds of Hogwarts. As I walked on around the edge of the black lake I reached the white marble tomb. The tomb split open to reveal a face sunken, pale, and translucent, yet perfectly preserved, looking as he had in life.

There it lay, clutched in his bony hands, buried with him. Did the old fool really think a slate of marble would protect the wand? Had he thought the Dark Lord would be frightened to violate his resting place? I laughed out loud, taking the wand as easily as any, sparks flying from its tip, ready to serve a new master at last.

/

Jenny's POV

Bill and Fleur's cottage overlooked the sea, its walls embellished with shells and whitewashed. The tiny garden beside it was often where I went to escape company and find solitude. The sound of the constant ebb and flow of the sea was perfect, like a great slumbering breathing.

The weight of knowing Voldemort possessed the Elder Wand, the most powerful wand in existence, was like carrying a load of a hundred bricks. It was like spending years building an entire home out of them and knowing someone had enough power to tear it down.

"You did the right thing, Harry," I said, sensing his presence behind me.

"'arry?" Fleur's heavily accented voice asked behind me. I turned, confused, surely it hadn't been Fleur behind me. No, Harry was there, he just hadn't responded yet. Fleur stood in the doorway, however, calling both of our attentions. "Griphook would like to speak to you both een ze small bedroom- 'e doesn't want to be over'eard"

Griphook was waiting for us inside, the red curtains in the small room drawn to reveal the bright cloudy sky. The fiery sun illuminated the clouds with a warm glow, seeping into the room through the window.

"I have reached my decision," Griphook said, drumming his spindly fingers on the arms of his chair, "though the goblins of Gringotts will consider it treacherous, I have decided to help you-"

"That's great!" Harry exclaimed with relief.

"In return- the sword"

"What?" Harry's face fell. I was speechless.

"You can't have that, I'm sorry," I said as kindly as I could.

"Then we have a problem"

"We can give you something else? It's just that the sword's ours and we need it-"

"No, it's not," he replied.

"Dumbledore left it to me in his will, Harry's pulled it from the sorting hat, we're Gryffindors and it was made for Godric Gryffindor-"

"And before Gryffindor, whose was it?" Griphook demanded.

I looked at Harry, at a complete loss. "It was made for Gryffindor, wasn't it?"

"No! Wizarding arrogance again! It belonged to Ragnuk the First- taken from him by Godric Gryffindor! It belongs to goblins! It is the price of my hire- take it or leave it!"

The sword of Gryffindor was our one indispensible weapon against the horcruxes. Griphook was our only hope of obtaining the next horcrux. How could we find a way around that?

"Can we have a moment, please, Griphook?" I asked, gesturing for Harry to meet me in the hall. We walked a bit away from the door so as to not be overheard before we came to a conclusion.

"How do we do this? We need the sword, but we need his help-"

"We'll tell him he can have the sword- after he's gotten into the vault- but we'll be careful to avoid telling him exactly _when_ he can have it," I reasoned. I felt kind of bad about it, but it's not really lying if we only tell the truth. We needed to do this. "After we're done with the horcruxes, he can have it for as long as he wants."

A grin spread across his face, "you're brilliant, Jenny."

"The idea doesn't really align with my moral compass, but I'm ready if you are," I said, taking a deep breath. He nodded and we went back to Griphook to make our proposal, treading carefully so as to avoid a timeframe.

"I have your word that you will give me the sword of Gryffindor if I help you?"

"Yes," Harry replied.

"Then shake," he said, holding out his hand. Harry took his hand and shook it, sealing the deal. Quite pleased with himself, Griphook clapped his hands together in conclusion. "Great! Now, the Lestrange vault is one of the oldest and most ancient vaults…" He went on, describing each obstacle that we could possibly face and discussing possible ways to overcome each. It seemed that with every obstacle came another until the hours blended into days of planning.

/

Harry's POV

"Dear Mr. Ollivander, could you please deliver this when you go to Bill's Aunt Muriel's? I never returned her tiara," Fleur said to Ollivander.

"It's my pleasure- the very least I could do," he said, taking the velvet box from her.

"My daddy made a tiara," Luna chimed in, "well, it's more of a crown, really"

Jenny caught my eye and grinned; I knew she was remembering the obscure headdress Xenophilius had created.

"He's trying to recreate the lost diadem of Ravenclaw-"

There was a bang on the front door, alerting everyone to an unidentified guest. Bill jumped to his feet, his wand pointed at the door.

"Who is it?" Bill called.

"Remus John Lupin: werewolf, wife of Meghan, and you, Bill, told me this address in case of emergency!" he called from outside. Bill lowered his wand and opened the door. Lupin came in looking pale and windswept, but his face was nothing less than ecstatic. "It's a boy!"

"Wha- She had the baby?"

"Yes, she had a baby boy!" he grinned.

Jenny and Hermione joined in a hug accompanied by jumping up and down and squealing with glee. Lupin strode over to me and engulfed me in a hug.

"Harry, you'll be godfather?" he asked.

"M-me?" I stammered.

"You, yes, of course, and Jenny-"

"I- yeah- blimey!" I was overwhelmed, astonished, and simply delighted. This was more than I could ever ask for.

"Meghan and I both agreed that there's no one better to take care of him than you two," Lupin said, hugging Jenny as she came over to us.

"Please stay for dinner," Jenny said.

"I wish I could, but I have to get back soon," he replied, beaming at her. In my opinion, he'd never looked so youthful then he did right now with a wife and child.

"A toast!" Fleur came in with wine glasses, filling them for the toast.

"To family, love, and new beginnings," Lupin said, raising his glass.

"To new beginnings," we all repeated, rising to a toast. The celebratory atmosphere in the little cottage was priceless, like a beautiful moment to be buried far away where no one can steal it.

"I really must get going now," he said after hardly ten minutes, pulling his travelling cloak around himself. "I'll bring some pictures back in a few days' time," he said, nodding to Jenny. "They'll be so glad that I've seen you," he smiled, his gaze lingering over us as if he knew he may not see us for some time.

"It was great to see you, Lupin," Jenny said, hugging him once more before he left.

"And you, Jenny. Harry," he nodded at me, but instead of nodding back I hugged him.

"Goodbye, Lupin," I said, watching him disappear into the night.


	19. Delectable Deception

Jenny's POV

"You've got to do it, Jenny. I don't think I can, and you'd be more convincing…" Hermione said, Bellatrix's wand sitting on the table between us. Our plan was to use our last bit of Polyjuice Potion to turn into Bellatrix (Hermione had one of her hairs on her sweater from the skirmish at the Malfoy Manor) and get into the vault that way.

"You took the wand from her, it ought to be you," Ron agreed.

"It's just… this wand has killed so many people. It's the one that tortured Neville's parents- it killed Sirius!" I said, looking at it in a new light. I could tell by Harry's reaction that this thought hadn't occurred to him. "It's just for a little while, until Ollivander makes me a new wand…" I said, taking the wand in my hand. It had a violent sort of pulse to it, much like my old wand, but it felt sort of… darker.

"Let's test them outside. I have a feeling that Malfoy's will work better for me if I've won it in battle," Harry said, looking down at Draco's wand. He had been using it as his own since the manor.

"Okay, let's switch so you can take it from me," I agreed, holding out my wand and taking his.

We went outside and stood a good distance from each other, our wand arms extended.

"Well?" I asked, waiting for him to attack me. He shot a disarming spell, but I deflected it. "You look surprised, Harry! You didn't honestly think I was going to _let_ you win, did you?"

He grinned and we began to shoot rounds at each other, playful little spells that turned more serious as he realized I wasn't playing anymore. Ron and Hermione had turned to spectators and even stood with snacks as they watched us.

"Better?" I asked as Draco's wand flew through the air and landed in his open hand.

"Much," he said and handed Bellatrix's wand to me.

/

"Ready?" Hermione asked. I nodded grimly and watched as she lowered the long black hair into the glass of sludge. I knew if I stopped I wouldn't be able to lift the glass to my lips again, so I downed the whole thing at once. I coughed, gasping for air, and nearly dropped the glass. It was the vilest thing I had ever tasted. If you were to imagine what Bellatrix Lestrange tasted like, in reality she's much _much_ worse. I watched my reflection in Hermione's eyes alter and distort slowly. My hair began to darken and curl as it stretched even further down my back. My cheeks turned white and the bones stuck out from my face. My dark lips curling into a sinister sneer. My eyes turned dark and cold. I shivered at the sight of her- _me_.

Hermione and I slipped out of our room and met Harry, Ron, and Griphook in the garden. It was chilly and the sound of the sea was louder than ever in the calm night. I tucked my mokeskin pouch into one of the pockets in my long black robes and turned as Harry came out of the house. Harry's initial expression upon seeing me was not what I was used to; a slight bit of loathing in his gaze, but it was gone when I spoke.

"How do I look?"

I guess something in my voice reminded him that I was myself, because his expression turned kind.

"Hideous," he simpered. I smiled in relief.

"Right, so Harry and Griphook will be under the cloak, Ron, you'll be disguised as a foreign wizard, and Hermione will be your owl," I said in Bellatrix's unfamiliar low voice.

"It's perfect because I can fly as well as keep watch in all directions," Hermione explained, a nod of agreement from Harry. Hermione took out her wand and began to work on Ron, growing a beard and making sure it was just a bit longer than Ron wanted.

"You should give him a mustache, too, to complete the beard," I suggested lightheartedly. Ron now had long wavy brown hair, a beard nearly as great as Hagrid's, thick heavy eyebrows, a short broad nose, and a freckle-free complexion. "Looks good, I think. How about you, Hermione?"

"Not my type, but he'll do," she shrugged, tucking her wand away and turning to me. I pointed my wand at her and transfigured her into a simple barn owl. She flew onto Ron's shoulder, her head revolving to look at each of us.

"Not my type, but I suppose I'll keep her," Ron shrugged- Hermione pecked his ear. "Ow- I was just kidding!"

"Griphook?" I turned to him. Harry bent down and he climbed onto his back. I stretched the cloak over them and tugged it on the side so it covered them completely. "Perfect! Let's go."

/

Harry's POV

We arrived outside the Leaky Cauldron, the darkness gathered around us like a veil. Ron walked in first; holding the door open for Jenny and keeping it open long enough for me to get through without suspicion. Jenny's entrance seemed to catch a few eyes.

"Madam Lestrange," a toothless man said as he polished glasses behind the counter.

"Good morning," Jenny replied, realizing he was speaking to her.

"Too polite," I whispered in her ear as we walked out of the other side of the inn, "treat people like they're scum!"

"Okay, okay!" she said as she took her wand out to tap on the brick wall and enter Diagon Alley. I was surprised to see how many shops had boarded up since our last visit, however grim it already had become from its original state. More shops dedicated to the dark arts had been created since our last visit as well. My own face glared down at me from the multitudes of posters stuck in every window, reading UNDESIREABLE NUMBER ONE.

As we set off down the street, beggars took one look at Jenny and pulled up their hoods, fleeing as fast as they could. One man, however, staggered toward her clad in bloody bandages.

"My children," he said, his voice distraught as he pointed at her, "Where are my children? What has he done with them? You know! You _know_!"

"I- I-" she stared at him at a loss for words. Hermione screeched as the man lunged at her throat. Then, with a bang and a burst of red light, he was thrown back onto the ground, unconscious. Ron stood there, a look of shock visible behind his bearded face as he held his wand still at the man. Faces appeared in the windows as others in the streets ran; keen to vacate the scene. Our entrance couldn't have been more blunderingly obvious- perhaps we should leave and think of another plan.

"Why, Madame Lestrange!" a tall thin man approached, but I had drawn a blank on who he was.

"That's Travers," Griphook whispered. _Travers… Travers…_

"And what do you want?" she asked, holding herself at full height. Travers stopped in his tracks looking offended.

"_He's another death eater!_" Griphook whispered harshly. I quickly passed the information on to Jenny.

"I merely wished to greet you, but if I'm not welcome…"

"No, not at all Travers," Jenny said, making a smooth blend from snide to appropriately rude.

"Well, I'm surprised to see you"

"Really? Why?"

"Well," Travers coughed uncomfortably, "I heard that the inhabitants of Malfoy Manor were confined to the house after the, er, _escape_"

If this is true, and Bellatrix wasn't supposed to be out in public-

"The Dark Lord forgives those who have served him most faithfully in the past," Jenny said in a very convincing imitation of Bellatrix's elitist manner, "perhaps your credit is not as good with him as mine is, Travers."

Although he looked offended, he seemed much less suspicious after hearing such a confident and contemptuous remark.

"How did it offend you?" he asked, referring to the man Ron had stunned.

"It doesn't matter, it won't do it again," she said coolly, though I could tell she felt a little uncomfortable calling the man an _it_.

"Who's your friend? I don't recognize him"

"This is Dragomir Despard," she replied, "he speaks very little English, but he is in agreement with the Dark Lord's aims. He has travelled here from Transylvania to see our new regime"

We had decided a fictional foreigner was the safest cover for Ron.

"So what brings you here?" he asked.

"Gringotts"

"Alas, I also, shall we?" he said, gesturing for her to walk beside him. She fell in step to avoid suspicion, but having Travers so close also meant we couldn't communicate at all. Having a watchful Death Eater was, in itself, the last thing we needed. As we approached the doors, two wizards with long golden rods stood guard, as Griphook had warned. As they scanned Travers for disillusionment charms and hidden objects, I cast the confundus charm on them both. Jenny's long black hair rippled behind her as she climbed the steps.

"One moment, madam," a guard said as he tried to stop her for a scan.

"But you've just done that!" Jenny snapped with condemnation.

"My apologies," he said, his voice slightly sow with his confusion. Jenny continued to walk, Ron close by her, and followed Travers inside. Seeing the place, being here again, brought me back to my first time here when I was eleven. Hagrid had said "_yeh'd be mad ter try ter rob it_." I never dreamed I'd be returning to steal from it.

Jenny let Travers go first so she could explain the workings of the great bank to Ron. When Travers was done showing his key, she stepped forward.

"Madam Lestrange! How- how may I help you today?" the stout goblin asked, startled.

"I wish to enter my vault"

The old goblin recoiled a little. I looked around to see that every face in the room had turned to stare at Jenny.

"You have... identification?" he asked carefully.

"Identification? I've never been asked for identification before!" she said, a bit offended.

"_They know! They must have been warned there might be an imposter!_" Griphook whispered in my ear. I turned and saw a guard slowly edging toward us from behind Ron. Hermione had seen him as well, her feathered head twisted backward to keep watch on his distance.

"Your wand will do, madam," he said, holding out his hand. A sudden realization hit me as I knew that they must have been told her wand had been stolen.

"_Act now! The imperius curse!_" Griphook urged. I raised my arm under the cloak and, for the first time in my life, I uttered the word _imperio_.

"Ah, you've had a new wand made, Madam Lestrange!" he said as he examined her wand. Jenny looked bewildered, but she accepted the bizarre turn of events and acted as if it were nothing but expected.


	20. The Great Escape

Jenny's POV

The door shut behind us, sealing out Travers, the guards, and the other goblins. Bogrod, the goblin who was taking us to the Lestrange vault, led us a cart. Harry took off his cloak and gave it to me to put in my mokeskin pouch before he climbed on. I looked from him to Bogrod, confused as to why he had shown himself and it had not surprised the goblin.

"Imperiused," Harry explained as he climbed onto the cart. Bogrod stood in front, to steer, Griphook right behind him and then me and Harry on one side with Hermione and Ron on the other. With a jerk, the cart started moving, rising quickly to top speed, twisting and turning through the labyrinth-like passages, sloping downward the entire time, as if it were falling. As we reached total darkness, the sound of rushing water grew louder like a roar in my ears.

"No!" Griphook shouted, but the brakes wouldn't work. Then, with an awful lurch, we ran under a waterfall, bounced out of our cart, which crashed ahead of us in the darkness.

"_Aresto momentum!"_ I shouted, and we landed on soft air before being lowered to our feet. "The spell I used when you fell from your broom," I panted, raising my wandlight so we could see. I was soaking wet and back to my old self, Bellatrix's clothes hanging from my shoulders: large, yet clinging to my skin. It was then that I saw Ron and Hermione began to feel their faces, realizing their disguises were gone.

"It washes away all enchantments- they've set traps for us," Griphook explained. I began searching my pockets to make sure I still had my mokeskin pouch and had not lost the invisibility cloak along with it. Harry relaxed a bit when I found it, stringing it over my shoulder where I usually kept it. Harry looked back to Bogrod, who seemed to be released from the imperius curse and was now shaking his head, beads of water splashing the floor.

"We need him! He's the only one who can open the vault- and we need the clankers!" Griphook said urgently.

"_Imperio!_" Harry shouted, returning Bogrod's expression to one of a dreamlike state.

"I think I hear people coming!" Ron said. I took out Bellatrix's wand and pointed it at the waterfall, sending the water up the passageway and toward our pursuers to keep us from being followed.

"Good thinking- now let's go. Griphook, lead the way!" Harry shouted, hurrying after the goblin down the passage.

"So, remind me again how we're going to get out of here?" Ron said as we ran.

"We'll worry about that later," I said, realizing that we really would have to be clever to get out of this one. As we turned the corner, we stopped dead in our tracks as we reached an obstacle we had not foreseen. A giant dragon was chained to the floor before us, blocking nearly four or five vaults with its massive pale body. It had massive chains holding its feet and chained deep in the ground, trapping him in place. The poor creature's eyes were a pale pink, its scales flaky and old, its wings folded close to its body. It probably couldn't move more than ten feet in any direction and it looked as if it had been tethered in place for decades. It turned to us and roared, spitting a jet of fire at us. We ran back, taking cover behind pillars.

"Its partially blind," Griphook panted, "and savage-"

Bogrod handed us each a metal instrument that made a ringing noise much like a million hammers on a piece of giant hollow metal.

"You know what to do. It will expect pain when it hears the noise. It will retreat and Bogrod can open the door," Griphook instructed. I felt a pang of sympathy for the creature, which was probably often beaten and abused. We emerged from our hiding places while shaking the clankers. The dragon roared fearfully and retreated, turning its head so that its scarred face became visible as well as its blind eye.

"Make him press his hand against the door!" Griphook barked at Harry, who turned his wand to Bogrod, who did nothing without a command. The old goblin pressed his hand to the door and the door melted away to reveal heaping piles of gold and treasure.

"Search- fast!" Harry shouted as we entered. _Helga Hufflepuff's cup… probably looks like a fancy old goblet…_ My eyes searched the gold and silver for a cup, but realized that it may be something else entirely that was hidden here. _Probably not that old suit of armor, though…_ I spotted the fake Gryffindor sword stuck in a pile of galleons. _No! Not that sword!_ Snape's words rang in my memory. Why those words, I do not know.

"Is this- OW!" I turned to see Hermione dropping a silver goblet as if it were white hot in her hand. As it tumbled down the pile of gold it multiplied into a shower of identical goblets.

"Everything you touch will burn you and multiply into worthless duplicates until you're buried alive," Griphook said. _Thanks for letting us know, Griphook. Would have been nice to know before we entered the vault._

"Okay, so don't touch anything!" Harry shouted desperately. _Easier said than done_, I thought as Ron accidentally nudged one of the fallen goblet copies with his foot and it exploded into twenty more. _Even the duplicates duplicate!_

"Nobody move!" Hermione shouted, "just look!"

"Remember, the cup is small and gold, a badger's engraved on it, two handles- otherwise, anything that looks like it belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw or has an eagle could be it, too…" Harry announced, looking around.

"There! I see it!" I pointed at a little golden cup that was far out of reach.

"How the bloody hell are we supposed to get that without touching anything?" Ron exploded.

"The sword! We can use the sword to reach it, can't we, Griphook?" I asked. The goblin grunted in response. I reached into my mokeskin pouch and drew out the sword, tapping its tip against a single galleon, which, to my pleasure, did not multiply. I stretched outward toward the cup, hoping to stick the sword through one of its handles, but, to my dismay, I couldn't reach it. I passed the sword to Harry, who tried and failed. Even Ron, the tallest, could not reach it. The sound of footsteps and clanking grew louder as the heat from the burning gold seemed to be draining my ability to think.

"I've got to get up there- I have to reach it!"

"We can't touch or levitate anything in the vault, but-" I turned to Hermione, who seemed to have understood.

"_Levicorpus_!" she pointed my wand at Harry, lifting him into the air by his ankle. She accidentally ran Harry into a suit of armor, which multiplied into dozens of white-hot replicas, tumbling down the hill of treasures. I screamed as treasure slid down onto me, multiplying incessantly until we were all half-buried in white-hot treasure.

"Impervius!" I shouted, trying to keep the treasure from burying us alive. Griphook was already buried completely, the only part of him visible were the tips of his long fingers. Harry must have reached the cup, because he came soaring back, plunging his hand into the gold to pull Griphook out. They landed on top of the rising treasure, but the sword and cup had flown out of reach.

"There!" Griphook spotted the sword, pulling it up out of Harry's reach, his actions filled with mistrust as he left Harry and I chin-deep in the burning treasure. The tiny golden cup was flung into the air and Harry emerged from the gold, making a desperate dive for the cup.

The treasure was burning my skin- I felt like I was sinking in hot lava, my ankles chained down to prevent me from escaping. The weight of the treasure was great, but I knew that if I didn't start to climb now, I would be completely and hopelessly buried. I reached my arms up and hoisted myself onto the surface, ignoring the burning feeling across all of my skin. I spotted Griphook running toward the exit with the sword and followed.

"Thieves! Thieves! Help, thieves!" he shouted and the door opened, the gold spilling out like an avalanche into the passageway. He disappeared into the crowd of unfriendly daggers who accepted him as their own without question. I began to slide down without control, my wand outstretched as my only protection from the dangerous blades ahead of me.

"Stupefy!" I shouted along with Ron and Harry. I tumbled onto the comfortingly cold floor. The tethered dragon let out a roar and spewed fire. I slid under the flames and ran toward the beast.

"What are you doing?" Hermione shouted, but I was already too close to turn back.

"_Relashio_!" the cuffs sealed around the dragon's ankles broke open with a bang. I severed the chain leash from his neck, cutting him completely free. "Hurry!" I shouted, climbing onto the dragon's back. I moved forward and gripped the remnants of the metal collar in my hands. "Climb on- hurry!" I said, reaching down to pull Harry on. The dragon seemed to be allowing us to climb on in exchange for its release and lowered itself further to help Hermione and Ron. I rubbed the dragon's neck, alerting it that it was free and we were ready to go.

With a roar, the dragon's wings spread out, taking up the entire passageway in its wingspan. It pounded up the passage, nearly too big to squeeze through it at all, and pressing us against the wall above us. We had to lay flat, our heels dug into its hard scales, in order to stay on. Soon the dragon was clawing its way through the passage, the ceiling crumbling down on its large body. It was only a matter of time before we were shaken off or crushed.

"_Defodio_!" Hermione shouted, the passageway expanding a bit. I pulled out my wand as well, causing the stone before us to crumble, leaving a gaping hole above us. The dragon took advantage of the new escape route and spiked into the air. The dragon kept its fire going, blasting any obstacles out of the way, while its tail lashed about, blocking the path behind us and keeping enemies from reaching us. Goblins and wizards ran and screamed as the great dragon finally spread its wings fully, heading for the entrance. It forced through the open doors, leaving them broken and hanging from their hinges as we flew off into the sky.


	21. Hogsmeade

Harry's POV

Jenny plan worked out great; we had gotten the horcrux and escaped Gringotts. The only problem now was that the Dragon was flying blindly hundreds of feet up in the sky with us in tow.

"We're up too high!" Hermione shouted against the wind as the dragon rose higher and higher into the sky.

"Make it land, Jenny!" Ron shouted.

"I'm not some sort of dragon whisperer!" she shouted back, clinging desperately to its collar. I knew that if it were to turn sharply or dive we would all fall off, even if she were holding onto it. It seemed that Ron was swearing as loudly as possible and Hermione was sobbing rather loudly, her arms tight around my waist.

How long would it be before Voldemort found out we had broken into the vault? Surely once he learned we had escaped on a giant blind dragon it wouldn't be long before he found us. At the very least, Voldemort would know we were hunting his horcruxes.

We continued to ride until the lights of the city were distant, the trees and buildings blending together. We were entering the country now, with a forest and a lake ahead. A high-pitched whistling sound, probably from the rushing wind, grew louder as the ground grew closer.

"Is it just me, or are we losing height?" I asked loudly enough for her to hear.

"That's the idea!" Jenny shouted back. "I think the dragon's thirsty- it's heading for one of those lakes, there. I don't know how well it'll land, so I think we should jump!"

Lower and lower the dragon flew, circling over one of the smaller lakes. When I could see the yellow of its underbelly in the reflection of the water, I knew it was time.

"NOW!" I shouted before kicking off from the dragon's broad back. My feet hit first, but the distance was greater than I expected and I hit the water hard. When I emerged, I spotted three larger rippling spots where the others had jumped. The dragon had already landed on a far bank and didn't seem to notice us at all. I began to swim toward shore once I saw that all of them had resurfaced. Soon it was a matter of fighting through the reeds than swimming, as most of the lake turned out to be rather shallow.

I made it to the edge first, coughing and sputtering as I rolled onto the grass. Although I would much rather remain lying on the ground, I forced myself to stand and cast protective spells. When they emerged from the water, I noticed that most of their skin was singed red and parts of their clothes were burned through. Jenny's hair, usually a long golden blonde, was brittle and scorched on the ends. She was unscrewing a bottle of dittany and wincing as she applied it to their many injuries. Hermione took out a fresh pair of clothes for each of us from her bag as well as four bottles of pumpkin juice from Fleur and Bill's. We all drank the juice hungrily before changing.

"Well, we got the horcrux," Ron said, watching the skin on his hands regrow, "but we-"

"Lost the sword," I finished through my gritted teeth.

"I hope it'll be alright," Jenny said, looking out at where the dragon sat, lapping up water from the lake.

"What'll happen to it?" Hermione asked.

"It's a dragon, it can look after itself," I said, before looking to Ron as he began to speak.

"I don't know how to break this to you, but I think they might have noticed we broke into Gringotts"

All four of us started to laugh and, once we started, it was difficult to stop. It felt so good to laugh, although it made me realize how hungry I was. I let myself fall onto my back and laugh until my throat hurt and my ribs ached.

"Maybe they'll be too scared to tell him-" Hermione started, but I was already gone.

"_What did you say to me?_" my voice was high and cold, fury burning through me as I glared down at the trembling goblin.

"W-we t-tried to st-stop them… imp-posters b-broke into the Lestrange's vault-"

"Imposters? What imposters? Who were they?"

"It was the P-Potter boy and his accomplices…"

"What did they take?" I demanded, my voice rising.

"A s-small golden cup m-my lord…"

I screamed with rage, my voice echoing off of the crumbling walls. How could they have known? No one knew. It was impossible- how could they have discovered my secret?

I threw the elder wand out, jets of green light slashing through the room, hitting any who crossed its path. Bellatrix and Lucius threw goblins behind them in their rush for the door.

The diary was destroyed and the cup was stolen. What of the others? What if the boy knew about them? Could he have already found them? Surely I would have felt it if he had destroyed any. I, the greatest wizard of all time, would surely know.

But, still, I had to be sure. I paced the room, kicking corpses as I went, thinking of the different places- the lake, the shack, Hogwarts-

How could the boy have known about the ring in the Gaunt shack? No one knew I was related to the Gaunts, I had hidden the connection, the killings couldn't possibly be traced to me- I was careful.

Then again, there were loose ends: the man and the girl. Oh, how I hate loose ends. The girl surely had no idea, but the man… he was loyal enough, but only out of personal interest. I may need him yet- I'll keep him for now, but if he proves to have crossed me or loses his value…

As for the school, I alone knew where I planted the horcrux.

And there was still Nagini, who must remain close, now, no longer sent to do my bidding, but to be protected.

But to be sure- completely- I must set out and place extra protection for each horcrux- a quest, like the Elder Wand, which I must do alone.

But which first? Which was in most danger? Then I realized- Dumbledore knew my middle name. He could have traced me back to the Gaunts. It was there that I would go first.

The lake, no, surely not… though there was a small possibility Dumbledore could have known something through the orphanage.

It would be prudent to alert Snape that the boy might return to Hogwarts. To tell him why, however, would be careless- it was a grave mistake to trust Bellatrix and Malfoy, proving it was unwise to ever trust.

/

Jenny's POV

Hermione, Ron, and I sat around Harry, looking worriedly down at him. I knew full well he was in Voldemort's mind again, but how much longer could he stay there before Voldemort realized it?

Harry's eyes flew open, darting from Ron to Hermione to me. I saw the thoughtful vigilance in his eyes, the distant danger, before he pulled away to look at the cup lying in the grass a few feet away.

"He knows," he said, "he's going to check on all of them and the last one is at Hogwarts"

"What?" Ron asked.

"I saw him find out about the cup in my head he's- he's livid and scared that we know so much. He's making sure they're all safe- he's going to the ring, first. He still thinks it's at the Gaunt shack. He thinks Hogwarts is the safest because Snape's there and it'll be so hard for us to get in. I think he'll check that one last, but he could still be there within hours-"

"Do you know where in Hogwarts it is? Did he say what it was?" I asked.

"No, he was concentrating on Snape-" Harry went on as I pulled out the invisibility cloak.

"Wait! We can't just go in there- we need a plan!" Hermione cried.

"We don't have time- we need to leave now. Once he realizes the locket and ring are gone-" Harry didn't even finish. He didn't have to- I'd already packed everything in my pouch and handed him the cloak.

"How are we going to get in?" Hermione asked.

"Hogsmeade- we'll figure it out later. Everyone under the cloak," he ushered, holding up the end for us to get under.

"But we don't fit-"

"It'll be dark, no one's going to notice our feet," he said and we turned on the spot.

/

Harry's POV

We dropped down in Hogsmeade, the achingly familiar line of shops still in tact, a line of light spilling from the Three Broomsticks. Then it happened.

A deafening scream, not unlike Voldemort's when he realized the cup was stolen, pierced the night air. The alarm remained constant and I knew at once it had been set off by our presence. A dozen death eaters burst from the Three Broomsticks, wands in hand.

"_Accio cloak!_" one of them shouted. I gripped the folds of the cloak, but it didn't move. "Spread out- he's here," he barked. I heard Jenny mutter a spell, her body slowly turning invisible beneath the cloak. I looked down and saw that our feet were indeed visible and the Death Eaters would see them once their eyes adjusted to the dark.

"Into the alley," she whispered before ducking out from under the cloak. I shifted the cloak to cover our feet once she was gone, hurriedly backing into an alley, careful not to let a toe peek out.

"Let's just leave- disapparate!" Hermione whispered.

"We can't- Jenny's gone"

"What?" she whispered harshly.

"She turned herself invisible, first! Our feet were visible with all of us, Hermione," I said, my voice fading as death eaters began to search nearer to us.

"Turn loose- the dementors! Let them have him!" one of them shouted.

"The Dark Lord wants him alive"

"And he'll be easier to kill if he's been kissed first!" there were noises of agreement as the night air grew heavy and darker than ever. Dementors came gliding around the corner as we backed up against the wall. Suddenly, a silver wolf appeared and chased them away. The stars came back out as the dementors retreated, the footsteps of the Death Eaters growing louder as they ran toward us.

"Potter! In here- quick!" the door behind us opened, "keep the cloak on and be quiet!" The tall figure passed by us, storming into the street. Ron and Hermione began shuffling back and I followed close, sliding into the building. The only light was a single candle, but it was enough for me to realize we were in the Hog's Head Inn. We hurried behind the counter and through a doorway, which led to a staircase, which we climbed as quickly as possible. Upstairs was a sitting room with a fireplace above which was a large painting of a blonde girl who gazed out the window with a sort of vacant sweetness.

I walked over to the window, still hidden by the cloak, to see the Hog's Head barman arguing with the death eaters.

"So what? You send dementors down my street, I'll send a patronus back at 'em! And if I want to send my cat out after curfew- I will!"

"_You_ set off the alarm?"

"What if I did? Going to send me to Azkaban? Kill me for sticking my nose out my front door? Go ahead! But I hope for your sake that you haven't pressed your little tattoos and summoned him! He isn't going to be too happy to see my cat instead of that Potter boy, will he?"

"Alright, we made a mistake, but break curfew again and we won't be so kind!" the death eaters strode back down the street. Hermione exhaled in relief and ducked out from under the cloak, taking a seat on an armchair in the corner. I drew the curtains together before taking off the cloak and handing it to-

"Where's Jenny?" I asked, turning to Ron and Hermione who looked equally clueless. Then the barman walked up the stairs followed by Jenny.

"Aberforth, I'd like you to meet Hermione, Ron, and Harry. Guys, this is Aberforth, Dumbledore's brother," Jenny said, going to sit on the arm of Hermione's chair.

"Y-you sent Dobby- it was your eye in the mirror!" I said, noticing that behind his spectacles were the same piercing blue eyes that Dumbledore had.

"I thought he'd be with you- so where is he?"


	22. New Recruits

Jenny's POV

The silence was worse than any noise could be.

"He's dead," I spoke, "Bellatrix Lestrange killed him."

Ron's stomach growled so loudly that Aberforth felt obliged to speak.

"I've got food- I'll be right back," he said, stomping down the stairs. He reappeared with a large loaf of bread, a hunk of cheese, and a jug of mead. Suddenly ravenous, we swarmed in on the food, not bothering to take our shares back to our seats. We kneeled in the center of the room, devouring every morsel.

"You can't leave at night, because of the curfew, but when dawn breaks the spell will lift and you can get out of here under your cloak. Go up to the mountains, there, and you can disapparate-"

"We're not leaving," I interrupted.

"Well of course you are-"

"We've got to get back to Hogwarts!" Harry said, "Dumbledore- er, your brother-"

"My brother wanted a lot of things and often people ended up hurt while carrying about his plans. You get out of here, Potter, get as far as you can-"

"You don't understand-"

"You don't think I understand my own brother?"

"No, not at all, it's just that we have a job to do-"

"Really, now? A nice simple job that an unqualified wizard kid can do without overstretching himself?"

Ron gave a grim sort of laugh, but Hermione and I weren't as amused.

"No, but I've got to-"

"Got to? Albus is dead, Potter! You owe him nothing! Let it go, boy, before you follow him! Save yourself, Potter!"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I-" he was at a loss for words, "but you're fighting, too! You're in the Order-"

"I was, but it's all over, now. You-Know-Who's won. It's not safe here, Potter- take your friends here and go abroad, go into hiding-"

"I can't-"

"Give the job to someone else, then!"

"I can't! It's got to be me, Dumbledore explained-"

"Oh, did he, now? He told you everything?"

Once again, the room fell silent. The old man's eyes travelled to the painting above the fireplace.

"Dumbledore cared about Harry very much," I said in a low voice.

"Did he now?" Aberforth said, "funny how the people my brother cared about usually end up in much worse states than if he'd left them alone"

"Are you talking about Ariana?" Hermione said.

At the mention of his sister, the girl in the painting, words came spilling from his mouth.

"When she was six, a few boys from the neighborhood saw her doing magic. They tried to make her do things, but she couldn't control it at that age. It destroyed her, what they did. She wouldn't use magic after that, but she couldn't get rid of it- it turned her mad, exploding out of her when she couldn't control it. It made her strange and dangerous, but mostly she was sweet and scared and harmless. My father went after the bastards that did it and was sent to Azkaban for it. He wouldn't say why, because they'd have sent her to St. Mungo's. So we moved and kept her at home to care for her. I was her favorite; Albus was always up in his room. He didn't want to be bothered with her. Then, one time I wasn't there… she was fourteen at the time. If I'd been there, I could have calmed her down, but she was in one of her rages and… she couldn't control it- my mother was killed…"

As he went on I realized that he had probably never spoken about this aloud. He told us about Dumbledore and Grindelwald and how he disagreed with them. Grindelwald and Aberforth ended up drawing their wands and Grindelwald used the Cruciatus Curse on him. "Dumbledore tried to stop him, and then we were all dueling and-"

He seemed almost unable to continue, his face drained of all color.

"-and I think she wanted to help, but she didn't know what she was doing and, I don't know which of us did it, it could have been any of us, and then- she was dead."

His voice broke as he dropped down into the nearest chair. I don't think I could stand it- I wanted to erase the story from my mind.

"The night Dumbledore died, he drank a potion that drove him out of his mind. He started screaming- pleading- _don't hurt them, please… hurt me instead_. He thought he was back then with you and Ariana and Grindelwald. He thought he was watching him hurt you and Ariana… it was torture to him."

We all sat still in the silence. Harry had hardly ever spoken of the night with Dumbledore, especially in detail.

"How can you be sure you aren't as dispensable to him as my little sister?"

"Dumbledore loved Harry," I said with truth in my voice.

"Then why didn't he tell you to hide- _survive_?"

"Because sometimes you've got tot think about more than your own safety! Sometimes you have to think about the greater good! This is war!"

"You're seventeen, boy!"

"I'm of age and I'm going to keep fighting even if you've given up!"

"Who says I've given up?"

"You did! The order is over, You-Know-Who's won…"

"It's the truth!"

"No it's not! Dumbledore knew how to finish You-Know-Who off and he's passed the information along to me. I'm going to keep going until I succeed or die. Don't think I don't know how this might end. I've known for years."

"And even if Harry fails, he won't be the only one trying. I know, too, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to put an end to this war," I stood my ground, daring him to argue.

"We need to get into Hogwarts and if you can't help us, we'll wait until morning and figure it out ourselves. If you _can_, however, this would be a great time to say something," Harry said.

Aberforth stood and turned to the painting, "you know what to do."

Ariana turned and walked down the long dark tunnel painted behind her until she was swallowed by darkness.

/

Harry's POV

Ariana emerged from the darkness with another figure. They grew larger until the frame swung open and the figure hopped out. His hair was long and shaggy and he looked as if he'd been beaten near death, but still he'd never looked happier.

"Neville!" Jenny shouted, jumping to hug him. Hermione followed suit, then Ron, thrilled to see a friendly face. Finally, it was my turn.

"I knew you'd come, Harry! I told Seamus it was only a matter of time!" he said as he hugged me. "Come on, let's get going!" he said and jumped back into the painting with surprising ease. Jenny approached the fireplace, hesitant to jump over the flames and onto the mantle, which stood at shoulder-height for her. Neville held out his hand while I gripped her waist, lifting her up until she could get her foot in the tunnel. Hermione was next, then Ron, and I came last.

"Thanks so much for everything," I said, "you saved our lives twice."

"Remember, Potter, you have friends in Hogsmeade. Now be careful, I doubt I can pull it off again. Good luck, Potter!" he said before closing it behind me.

"Is it true you broke into Gringotts? That you escaped on a dragon? What else have you guys been doing?" Neville asked, thrilled for a good story, "everyone's been talking about it."

"Yeah, it's true," Ron said.

"What did you do with it? The dragon, I mean."

"We let it go, though I'm pretty sure Jenny was ready to keep it as a pet-"

"Ha ha," Jenny said, probably rolling her eyes at me. It was impossible to see her face in this light.

"So what have you been doing? Most people say you're on the run, but I think you're up to something," Neville said, slowing a bit to see my response.

"You're right, but tell us about what's been going on at school- we haven't heard a thing."

"Well, you know the Carrows?"

"The siblings?"

"Yeah, well, one of them's in charge of Defense Against- well, it's just Dark Arts, now"

"Are they as bad as Umbridge?" Jenny asked.

"Oh, they make her look tame- they have us practicing the Cruciatus Curse on people who've earned detentions or talked back…"

"_What?_" we said in unison, our voices reverberating down the empty hall.

"Yeah, that's how I got all these marks- I refused to do it. Then there's Alecto, Amycus's sister, she teaches Muggle Studies now. We all have to sit there and listen to her talking about muggles and how their scum and I got this one-" he pointed to a slash on his face, "for asking her how much muggle blood her and her brother have."

"Blimey, Neville! If you know you're going to be beaten up, you shouldn't start mouthing off!" Hermione said.

"You didn't hear her- you wouldn't have stood for it, either. Besides, it gives people hope to stand up to them- I noticed that when you did it, Harry"

"But they're using you as a human knife-sharpener!" Ron argued.

"Don't worry, they won't actually kill us, they just want to spill a little blood to scare us, and for their entertainment, of course"

I didn't know which was worse- what he was saying or the matter-of-fact tone in which he said it.

"We used to have fun with it, rebelling. We used to graffiti the walls _Dumbledore's Army, still recruiting_ and stuff like that"

"Used to?"

"Well, it got tougher when we lost Luna at Christmas. The torture got a bit rougher, too, when they caught people doing stuff like that, so we dropped those sort of stunts. We still fought, though, and when they figured out that hurting me wasn't slowing me down, they went for my Gran-"

"What?" Jenny said.

"I guess they wanted a bit of leverage, but they bit off more than they could chew with her. Sent someone less powerful, they thought she'd be easy, being an old lady who lives alone and all. Anyway, Gran's on the run, now. Once they realized there was nothing they could do to control me, however, they decided to off me. I don't know if they planned on killing me or sending me off to Azkaban, but either way I knew it was time to disappear"

"But aren't we going there now?" Ron asked.

"Of course! You'll see- here we are," he said, taking a bit of a run forward and pushing on the wall at the end of the passage. It opened on a hinge as Ariana's painting had and we jumped out of it into a bright room.

"Look who I brought with me!" Neville shouted. After the long walk in the dark, my eyes took a moment to adjust. I managed to land on my feet when I jumped, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway, for once I was in the room dozens of hands clapped me on the back and welcomed me with support.

/

Jenny's POV

"HARRY!"

"Potter- it's Potter!"

"_Jenny!_"

"Ron!"

"Hermione!"

I wondered if this was what crowd surfing was like. The room was nearly white to my slowly adjusting eyes. I felt as if I was being passed through a crowd, each of them taking turns hugging me.

"Okay, okay, calm down!" Neville's voice called out over the rest. The crowd seemed to melt away and I soon stood beside Ron, Hermione, and Harry in a clearing surrounded by dozens of people. I didn't recognize the room at all. It was larger than the Gryffindor common room and had hammocks hanging from the ceiling, the Gryffindor lion, Ravenclaw eagle, and Hufflepuff badger hung from the three walls. Bookcases leaned against the walls beside half a dozen broomsticks.

"Where are we?" Ron asked.

"The room of requirement, of course!" Neville responded. "it's our hideout- the Carrows can't get in- none of them can!"

"This is brilliant," I beamed, looking around at everyone. They all looked so happy, though beaten beyond recognition. Most of the DA members were here, I was sure of it, plus dozens of other recruits.

"Tell us what you've been up to- we've been trying to find out, listening to Potterwatch, but the stories can't be true, can they? You didn't break into Gringotts!" Seamus said, though I hadn't recognized him before he spoke.

"They did- and the dragon's true, too!" Neville chimed followed by a rousing cheer.

"What were you after?" Seamus asked eagerly.

"We were after something that was stored in a highly-guarded vault. We can't tell you exactly what, but it was tough, getting it! We had to get past loads of death eaters and traps," Ron said, basking in the glory of the story. I noticed Harry had turned a bit away from the crowd, his eyes closed as he began to sway. He was in Voldemort's mind again.

"You alright there, Harry?" Neville asked.

"We have to get going," I said, stepping closer to Harry in case he fell.

"What's the plan, then?" Seamus asked.

"Plan?" Harry said with a strained voice. "Well, there's something we- Ron, Hermione, Jenny, and I- need to do before we get out of here."

"What do you mean?" Neville asked, the room completely silent.

"We're here on a mission, not to stay," I clarified.

"What is it?"

"I- I can't tell you," Harry replied.

"It's got to do with fighting You-Know-Who, right?" he said, his eyebrows creased as people began to murmur.

"Well, yeah-"

"Then we'll help you!"

I looked out to the other members of the DA, not a single person was disagreeing. They all wanted to help. Some of them even stood from their chairs to show their immediate dedication.

"You don't understand- we've got to do it alone-"

"Why?"

"Well- I- Dumbledore gave us a job, just the four of us-"

"Well, we're in his army: Dumbledore's Army. We're all in this together- we've been keeping it going while you guys have been off on your own-"

"It hasn't exactly been a picnic, mate," Ron said.

"I didn't say it was, but you can trust us, Harry! Everyone here is ready to risk everything for this. We're loyal to Dumbledore- loyal to you"

"Yoohoo! We're here!" Luna said, her and Adrienne jumping down from behind us.

"How-"

"I sent them a message. Luna and Adrienne wanted me to let them know when you got here. We all thought that if you came back it'd mean a revolution and we all want in."

"Listen," Harry said, his blood racing, "that's not what we came back-"

"You're going to leave us in this rut?" Michael Corner demanded.

"No!" I shouted, "we've just got to take out You-Know-Who first-"

"Then let us help!" the crowd began to shout in agreement. Luna came out from behind us to take her place in the front of them, followed by Ginny, Fred, and dozens of others spilling out from the tunnel.

"So what's the plan?" George asked.

"There isn't one," Harry said.

"Make it up as we go along? My favorite kind!" Fred said with a lopsided grin, which I couldn't help but return.

"This is insane! Why is everyone suddenly coming-" Harry started but I turned to cut him off.

"Why can't they help? We could always use an extra hundred pairs of eyes when we're looking for something in such a large place," I said vaguely, turning into a whisper, "we don't have to tell them it's a horcrux."

Harry turned it over in his mind before looking to Ron and Hermione. They nodded in agreement.

"Alright," he said quietly before turning back to the room. "Okay, everyone!" All noise in the room ceased, even Fred and George who had been joking around. Hundreds of alert eyes darted excitedly, all waiting on Harry to speak. "We need to find something before we can take down You-Know-Who. It's here at Hogwarts, but we don't know where or what…" he trailed off when he realized how incredibly vague he was being. I stepped forward to help.

"What we're looking for belonged to one of the founders, Probably Rowena Ravenclaw. Has anyone come across anything like that? Something with an eagle engraved in it?"

"Ravenclaw's diadem, you mean, Jenny? The one my Daddy's trying to recreate?" Luna asked.

"Yeah, exactly," I nodded.

"Er, what exactly is a diadem?" Ron asked.

"A diadem is a sort of crown, like a tiara. Ravenclaw's is supposed to be magical, it sort of boosts the wisdom of its wearer. It's probably silver, knowing her, and maybe adorned with blue jewels. Has anyone seen anything like that?" I asked, scanning the room to no avail.

"If you'd like to see what the diadem looks like, Harry, I could take you up to the Ravenclaw common room and show you our Ravenclaw statue-" Cho said.

Harry's eyes rolled back a bit as he fought another vision and I began to wonder how much time we had left.

"He's on the move," he whispered just loud enough for me to hear. I sent a warning look to Ron and Hermione, who understood. "It's not much of a lead, but I'm going to go see this statue. Ron, Hermione, Jenny- stay here and keep the, er, other one safe"

Cho jumped to her feet, but I spoke before she could take a step. "Luna, will you like to take Harry and I up to the Ravenclaw common room?"

"Oh, yes, I would love that!" she said, skipping up to us, leaving Cho to sit in her seat, disappointed.

"No, Jenny, you stay here-" Harry argued.

"Harry- I'm not leaving your side," I spoke fiercely.

"It's probably a good idea, too. You two work well, together," Luna said with a dreamy smile, now standing next to us. "Are you ready to go?"


	23. And So It Begins

We followed her, but what she led us to wasn't what we expected.

"A cupboard?" I asked, looking down at it as she opened the small wooden door.

"It comes out somewhere different every day. It's really quote clever. They can't track us, this way," she replied, looking at both of us, "follow me."

We climbed in the small rectangular opening, finding that it quickly opened up to a stairway, which led to a door.

"Wait-" I stopped her before she could open it. "Get under this," I said, pulling out the invisibility cloak, "I'm not letting anyone get hurt."

I threw the cloak out over us and we pushed through the door. It sealed shut behind us, no possible way of reentering. Harry searched the Marauder's Map for our names, trying to figure out where we are.

"This way," he said as we crept behind him. After a while, Luna stepped in front and led us to the Ravenclaw dorms. We came to a door with no handle or hinge. Luna reached our from under the cloak and knocked, the sound reverberating through the empty halls.

"Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?" a soft musical voice replied.

"Hm… what do you think?" Luna asked.

"What? There isn't just a password?"

"Oh, no, you have to answer a question," Luna said.

"What if you get it wrong?" he replied.

"You wait until someone else gets it right. Then you learn something," she smiled.

"Well, we have three tries," I said, taking a deep breath.

"The phoenix, then," Harry said.

"That is incorrect," the voice responded.

"The flame?"

"I don't think it's either of those- it's like a cycle- there is no beginning," I said.

"Well reasoned," the voice said and the door swung open. Once the door shut, we took off the cloak. We hurried toward the tall marble statue, beautiful, yet intimidating. On top of her head was a delicate circlet with tiny words etched on it: _wit beyond measure is a man's greatest treasure_.

"Coming her- you stupid children!" someone said. I turned and saw Alecto Carrow standing with her finger pressed to her forearm.

/

Harry's POV

My scar burned the moment her finger touched the mark. The Ravenclaw common room was gone and I was on a rock, the sea crashing around me, a triumph rising in my chest- _they have the boy_.

A loud bang brought me back to reality.

"That was the first time I've stunned someone," Luna said.

"Seriously?" Jenny asked in disbelief.

"Except in DA, of course"

Footsteps pounded on the stairs as sleeping students began to emerge. We hurried together and hid back under the cloak before the doors opened and the students gathered around the unconscious death eater.

"I think she's dead!" one shouted in glee as another poked the limp body with his foot.

There was a knock on the common room door as Amycus Carrow yelled at it, not wanting to answer the riddle.

"Where do vanished objects go?" the voice asked.

"Alecto, open the door! You'd better have Potter or he's going to murder us all- Alecto, answer me!"

"Professor Carrow, what are you doing?" a second voice, polite but irritated, asked.

"Trying- to- get- through- this- damned- door!" he shouted, kicking the wall between each word.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," McGonnogal said, "vanished objects go into nonbeing, which is to say, everything"

"Well put," the voice said and the door swung open.

"They've killed her! I'll Crucio the lot of 'em!" he said, waving his wand at the crowd of students who turned on the spot and ran back to their rooms.

"She's only stunned," McGonnogal said.

"But she hasn't got Potter!"

"What do you mean, _got Potter_?"

"We were told he might try to come in here- we'll blame it on the kids, that's it. Say they forced her to call him-"

"You won't be blaming any of the students-"

"Your time for authority is over, Minerva McGonnogal. I'm in charge now and you'll do as I say or pay the price," he said and spat in her face.

"You shouldn't have done that- _crucio_!" I said, throwing the cloak off of me to curse the scum. He was lifted off his feet, writhing and howling in pain, and then, like a crumpled up bit of paper, was thrown against a bookcase and fell to the floor. "I see what Bellatrix meant- you have to really mean it"

"Potter!" Mcgonnogal gasped, clutching her heart. For a moment she looked as if she might be having a heart attack. "You're here- I- what- how? Potter, that was foolish!"

"He spat at you," I reasoned.

"That's very- very _gallant_ of you, but don't you understand-"

"Yeah, I do- Voldemort's on the way"

"Oh, we can say his name now?" Luna asked, dipping out from under the cloak. Professor McGonnogal seemed to have another fright at her sudden appearance.

"It doesn't matter now, Luna he knows we're here and he's coming," Jenny said, appearing beside me. "Sorry to frighten you, Professor," she apologized as McGonnogal retired to a nearby chair.

"Potter, Bennett, you have to go- now! Flee, while you can!" McGonnogal said, waving her hand at us.

"We can't-" I began.

"We need to find Ravenclaw's diadem," Jenny said, cutting straight to it.

"But it's been lost for centuries! This is utter madness!"

"We have to find it- it might not even be the diadem, but we think it is- maybe if-" I stopped, my eyes burning as I saw through Voldemort's eyes. He had discovered another missing horcrux.

"Harry," Jenny said, her touch bringing me back.

"Professor, we're running out of time- we're doing this under Dumbledore's orders-" at the mention of his name, McGonnogal seemed to have a new light in her.

"Then we shall secure the school while you search!"

"Can you do that?" I asked.

"Well, us teachers are rather skilled- we can probably hold him off for a little while- then there's Snape, we'll have to do something about him-"

Just then, Snape's voice echoed through the hall as clear as if he were right behind me.

/

The students were gathered in the Great Hall and sorted by order of their houses. At the head of the room stood three tall pale figures dressed in black.

"It appears that Harry Potter was spotted in Hogsmeade," Snape announced, causing whispering among the students. "Should any of you, student or teacher, be found helping Potter, you will receive punishment equal to the crime. Should any of you be found aware of Potter's presence or of someone helping him and fail to report it, you will be equally guilty. If you have any information, now would be the time to step forward."

The silence hung heavily over the hall, fear emitting from everyone around me.

"No one?" he asked in his cold slimy voice as he slowly walked by the students, eyeing them down.

"It seems that you have a fault in your security, Professor," I said, stepping out of the crowd. His face fell when he saw whom I was. I was dressed in Gryffindor robes; no one had even spotted me in the mix of students. Fear struck him as the doors to the Great Hall burst open, revealing Jenny, Ron, Hermione, and other DA and Order members with their wands raised.

"How dare you stand where he stood," I cried, memories of the night in astronomy tower flooding my mind, "Tell them! Tell them how you looked him in the eye, a man who trusted you, and killed him!"

Moments passed where he did nothing, then he raised his wand, the surrounding students backing away quickly. McGonagall was in-between us in an instant, her wand directed at Snape, who seemed conflicted. I felt the rage inside me grow- I wanted to be the one fighting Snape.

McGonagall moved faster than I could have ever believed. Her wand slashed through the air with such precision that surely Snape couldn't have been able to retaliate. Alas, his shield charm appeared in time to protect himself. I watched in awe as the flames turned into a giant serpent. The caliber of the spells whipping through the air reminded me of when Voldemort and Dumbledore had dueled at the Ministry. It was magic beyond anything I could imagine.

McGonagall's spells immobilized Alecto and Amycus Carrow behind Snape, who seemed to pause to survey the situation. Suddenly, he made his decision, and turned into a billow of smoke and flew through the window, the glass shattering onto the floor as he disappeared into the night.

Uproar of cheers filled the Great Hall as students celebrated the small victory of Snape's retreat. The applause fell short, however, when an eerie and unnatural silence drowned out the cheers.

"Give me Harry Potter," Voldemort's voice pressed against my eardrums, "and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight."

The silence swallowed the room again. Every head seemed to turn, every eye pressed to me. Then a figure emerged from the Slytherins as Pansy Parkinson raised her arm to point at me.

/

Jenny's POV

"What are you waiting for? Someone grab him!" Pansy shouted.

And so I did.

I stood between the Slytherins and Harry, my hand around his arm as I held my wand in the other; ready to protect him from any treacherous student. Suddenly, there was a mass movement as the Gryffindors gathered around us in a giant wall. Then Hufflepuffs stood and, almost all at once, the Ravenclaws joined them with their backs to Harry, looking to Pansy instead. Wands emerged from sleeves and pockets, all held in protection of Harry.

"Thank you, Miss Parkinson," said Professor McGonagall, "You and your house may leave now"

"Leave to where?" a Slytherin asked.

"The dungeons will do," she said, a rise of cheers and laughter spilling from the students as the Slytherins followed Filch out in silence until the Slytherin table was deserted.

"All underage students please follow me to be evacuated!" Meghan shouted, raising her wand in the air so they could all see her. The younger students began to weave out from the crowd and follow her out, some crying, some jittery with fear, some still snickering.

"Peakes! Creevey!" McGonagall said, calling out underage wizards who were trying to stay unnoticed in order to fight.

"We don't have much time until midnight," Kingsey said, "we still need someone to organize the defenses of the entrances to the school-"

"Sounds like a job for us!" Fred called as he and George stepped forward.

"Alright, leaders up here and we'll divide the troops!" Kingsley announced.

"Harry, we need to get going," I nudged him, realizing he was staring at the others instead of thinking.

"Oh- right," he said and we took off toward the doors.

I ran beside him, the crowd sweeping us up the stairs, but also away from each other.

"Harry!" I shouted, realizing he was far ahead of me and I was being pulled down a different corridor. By the time I had pulled myself out of the mob of students, I was far from where I had last seen Harry. When the hall was clear, I ran back toward where I came, trying to think of where the diadem would be.

_The diadem was lost centuries ago, but it's hidden here in the castle. It's somewhere where no one would have noticed it, probably with others-_

"Why didn't I see it before?" I grinned, turning down a different passageway. No one ever found the diadem because it's hidden in a place where all lost things go- the Room of Requirement.

Now, I just had to find Harry. I retraced my path until I ran across Nearly Headless Nick.

"Nick!" I shouted, running up to him.

"Hello, Miss Bennett. How can I help you?" he said, looking pleased that I sought him out.

"Do you know where Harry's gone?"

"Oh," he said, looking a bit put out, "I sent him off to find the Grey Lady, just down there"

"Thank you!" I said, bolting down the next corridor. When I turned the corner, I ran into Harry himself.

"Jenny!" he said, grabbing my arms so we didn't fall over. "It's the diadem- I know it is! The Grey Lady, she's Ravenclaw's daughter. I don't know where it is, though"

"I do- now come on!" I said, taking his hand and pulling him down the hall. We didn't have time to stop and chat.

"How did you figure that?"

"Where did we take the Half Blood Prince's book when we didn't want anyone to find it, Harry?"

"The Room of Requirement!"

"The room had been filled with lost things. The diadem has to be one of them"

On the way, we passed Professor Sprout, Neville, and a few others carrying mandrakes and wearing earmuffs. My hands flew to my ears as we ran past them. I turned to see Harry clutching his forehead instead of his ears and stopped to make sure he was alright.

"Keep going, I'm fine," he said, speeding back up to a run.

By the time we reached the end of the corridor, the whole castle was shaking from the battle outside. One of the windows ahead of us was shattered along with a couple of statues that had once guarded the hall.

As we turned into another corridor, we ran into Ron and Hermione, whose arms were full of curved yellow objects.

"Where the _hell_ have you been?" Harry said, coming to an unsteady halt.

"Chamber of Secrets," Ron said.

"It was Ron's idea- just brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

"Of course- the basilisk!" I grinned, looking at the objects in Hermione's arms. They were Basilisk fangs.

"So-" Harry began.

"I destroyed it," Ron said, pulling the remains of Hufflepuff's cup out.

"Genius!" Harry shouted as the ceiling shook, dust falling from above and we heard a distant scream.

"So, what's new with you?" Ron asked.

"We know where the diadem is and we have to hurry," I said, starting to run again, "He hid it where everyone's been hiding stuff for centuries- the Room of Requirement."

When we got there, Ginny and Meghan stood in the doorway to the passage.

"Is everyone okay?" they asked at once.

"As far as we know," Harry said.

"Meghan, shouldn't you be with the baby?" I asked.

"Adrienne's taking care of him. I couldn't just sit at home now knowing- have you seen Remus?"

"He's leading a group of fighters into the grounds-" without another word, she was off.

"Ginny," I said, turning to her. She stepped out of the passage and ran after Meghan.

"Wait- we've forgotten something!" Ron said.

"What?" Harry asked.

"The house elves- they're all down in the kitchen!"

"You want to get them fighting?" Harry asked.

"No," he said, "I mean we should tell them to get out. We can't order them to die for us-"

There was a clatter as the basilisk fangs dropped from Hermione's arms. Running at Ron, she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth. Ron responded with such enthusiasm that he lifted her off her feet. A smile grew on my face at the two of them as they spun in circles.

"Oi! There's a war going on here!" Harry shouted and they pulled apart, looking as if they'd both been hit on the head with a beater's bat.

"Yeah, right, sorry," Ron said as Hermione picked up the fangs. We ran into the Room of Requirement, the clamor of the battle growing louder. It was clear that things had gotten increasingly severe outside, the spells now lighting the sky red and green.


	24. This Is War

Watch the "This Is War" music video at .com/watch?v=u99wnLw17qs

Or at lollypopgirl14's youtube page.

/

Harry's POV

We delved into the towering piles of assorted junk, the room filled with seemingly endless towers of chairs, crates, books, weapons, broomsticks, and other junk. Finally, I found it, and I reached out to grab it-

"Hold it, Potter," a voice behind me said. I turned around to see Crabbe, Goyle, and Draco Malfoy with their wands aimed at me. "What brings you here?"

"I could ask you the same question"

"You have something of mine and I want it back"

"Not anymore. Winners keepers, Malfoy. Who lent you theirs?"

"My mother. It's powerful, but it's not the same. It doesn't understand me"

"Go on, Draco, do it!" Goyle urged, but Draco didn't move. He was hesitating, just like he had on the astronomy tower.

"Why didn't you tell her? Bellatrix." I began to inch toward the diadem, my eyes locked on Draco's. "You knew it was me"

"Crucio!" Crabbe shouted as I lunged for the diadem. The curse missed me, but the diadem ended up flinging into the air and on top of a pile of junk.

"Stop! Don't kill him!" Malfoy shouted.

"Stupefy!" Jenny shouted, running out from behind where I had stood. Her spell missed, but only because Malfoy had pulled Crabbe out of the way.

"Avada Kadavra!" Crabbe shouted, aiming at Jenny.

"NO!" Draco yelled. I sent a stunning spell at Crabbe, but not before he finished the killing curse. I turned to see Jenny had dodged the spell and was now climbing back to her feet, wand aimed at them. "STOP! DON'T KILL-"

Their wands were aimed at me, now.

"Expelliarmus!" Jenny shouted, sending Goyle's wand into the air and off into a random pile of junk. I sent another stunning spell at them, but it missed.

"Stupefy!" Ron yelled, running into view. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle ran away, now that Ron and Hermione had joined Jenny. Ron chased after them, his wand flying in the air as he gave a battle cry. Jenny chased after him, but hardly as dramatically. Hermione walked in front of me, helping me up.

"There- the diadem flew up there!" I pointed toward the top of the pile where the old silver tiara was. "You get it while I help-"

"AAAAAAAAAAH!" Ron shouted, running madly toward us. "He set the bloody place on fire!"

"Aguamenti!" Jenny shouted, trying not to trip on fallen objects as she ran, but her spell seemed to dissolve in the air as the flames chased followed their shadows. "RUN!" she shouted, grabbing my hand and pulling my striken self with her.

We ran, our feet pounding against the floor as the flames hunted us. Goyle must have used some sort of dark spell I don't know, because nothing could extinguish the flames.

"What do we do?" Hermione shrieked, realizing we had run ourselves into a corner.

"Here!" I shouted, grabbing three heavy-looking broomsticks that were leaning against a pile. Ron hopped on, pulling Hermione on behind him. Jenny got onto hers as I swung my leg over mine. We kicked off the ground not a moment too soon, the flames nearly missing my foot as we rose in the air. Fire seemed to consume the room, eating up the objects hidden in it for centuries. I searched the room for Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, trying to find them. What a terrible way to die… I had never wanted this…

"There! There's the door!" Ron shouted.

"Harry, I see them! They're there!" Jenny said. I turned my broom around and began to follow her, searching for Malfoy's head of blonde hair.

"IF WE DIE FOR THEM, I'LL KILL YOU!" Ron shouted behind me, but I kept going. I spotted Malfoy and flew low, reaching out and grabbing his outstretched hand. He swung behind me and landed on my broom as I flew toward where we had been before.

"Leave it!" Hermione shouted behind me, but I ignored her, trying to find the diadem somewhere in the smoking heaps. Then I saw it, on top of a pile of objects being swallowed by snaking flames. I swept low, grabbing hold of the diadem, then swerved again as the flaming serpent lunged at me. I darted upwards, trying to remember which way the door was, but I couldn't see it through the smoke and flames.

"HARRY! THIS WAY!" Jenny's voice shouted, somehow rising over Malfoy's constant screaming. I flew toward the noise, passing through the giant doors and tumbling to the ground. Hermione grabbed the diadem from my hand and threw it back into the Room of Requirement just as the doors shut.

"I nearly died going back for that thing!" I said, staring at the spot where it had been swallowed by the flames.

"Harry, that was Fiendfyre! It destroys horcruxes!" Hermione exclaimed.

The walls shook again as the clamor of duels filled the corridor. My heart fell as I saw two redheaded figures backing into view, both dueling masked and cloaked men: Death Eaters had penetrated Hogwarts. One of the men's hood fell down as he was fighting and I recognized him as the most recent Minister of Magic.

"Hello Minister!" Percy said, sending a jinx at Thickneese, turning him into some sort of sea urchin, "did I mention I'm resigning?"

"You're joking, Perce!" Fred shouted with a grin as he stunned his opponent, "You're actually joking! I haven't heard you joke since-"

The air exploded. I held onto my wand as tightly as I could, holding my arms over my face as I was sent flying into a wall. The cold air told me that the corridor had been blasted open. Hot liquid on the side of my head told me I was bleeding profusely.

A scream of agony told me that someone had died.

I climbed to my feet and over the wreckage, my eyes following Ron as he ran toward a body lying on the ground, half-buried in rubble.

"NO!" he shouted. Hermione was next to me, tossing aside pieces of wood and struggling to her feet. I searched the ruins for Jenny, my heart racing, desperately trying to prove that it wasn't her who had fallen. Not finding her, my eyes turned back to the body as I approached it.

There she was, tears streaming down her pale cheeks, cradling the limp form's head as Ron and Percy unburied him. Fred's eyes stared without seeing, the ghost of his last laugh still etched on his face.

/

Jenny's POV

The world had ended, so why hadn't the battle stopped, the castle fallen silent in horror, and every wizard lay down their wands? I felt like I was in freefall, unable to grasp the fact that Fred Weasley lay dead in my arms.

Then a body fell from the sky, reminding us that we were in the middle of a war. Still, I felt like my body was nailed to the floor. Curses flew overhead, but I didn't even start to move out of danger.

"Get down!" Harry shouted, pulling Hermione to the ground and shielding my head with his arm.

"Percy!" Ron said, grabbing his brother by the shoulder, "We have to move!" No matter how much Ron tried, Percy lay unmoving over Fred's body, shielding it from further harm. Hermione screamed and I looked up to see a giant spider crawling through the hole in the wall and toward her. I gripped my wand and shot a curse at it, my eyes fierce as it was blown backward and vanished into the darkness. "It brought friends!" Ron shouted, sending spells flying toward the opening. More giant spiders were climbing through, too many to hold off.

"We need to move- NOW" Harry shouted, bending down to wrap Fred's arm around his shoulders. Ron moved to do the same on his other side while Percy grabbed onto his ankles. Together, they lifted him and began to haul him away and hide him in a niche in the wall where a statue had once been. I followed Hermione as she grabbed Ron's wrist and pulled him behind a tapestry. In a moment I realized she was trying to restrain him from running after revenge.

"We're the only ones who can end it! Ron, please! We _will_ fight! We'll have to in order to get the snake, but we can't lose sight of what we're doing!" Hermione said through her tears, now holding onto Ron to keep herself calm.

"Harry, you have to find out where he is- he'll have the snake," I said, trying to sound confident. Harry closed his eyes and succumbed to the pain in his scar. I took his hands in mine and in moments he came back to me.

"He's in the Shrieking Shack. The snake's with him- it's protected, somehow"

"He's not even _fighting_?" I said, outraged. He throws this huge battle; hundreds of people dying, and he's not even part of it? He just waved his hand, said _go kill some innocent people_ and they ran off with their wands out?

"He doesn't think he needs to fight," Harry said, "he thinks I'll come to him."

"Why?"

"He knows I'm after Horcruxes- he's keeping Nagini at his side- obviously I'll have to get near him to get that thing-"

"Right," Ron said, "so you can't go, because that's what he wants, it's what he's expecting. You stay here with Hermione and Jenny while I-"

"You three stay here," Harry cut in, "I'll go under the cloak and-"

"No, it makes more sense for me to-" Hermione said.

"Don't even think about it," Ron said, holding her in his embrace.

"Harry," I said, pulling out the cloak, "you and I will go."

"But-"

"I'm not letting you go alone," I said firmly, no crack in my voice, my gaze unwavering. He nodded and I turned to Ron and Hermione, "be safe", before throwing the cloak over us. We ran through the chaos, diving under spells and running to the side when McGonagall ran through the hall, herding a group of charging desks.

"I'm Draco Malfoy! I'm on your side!" Draco pleaded with a hostile Death Eater. I cursed the Death Eater as we passed, leaving Draco to stare in wonder, seeking his savior. I stomped on his foot as we passed, causing him to fall over on top of the Death Eater's body, utterly bemused.

"That's the second time we've saved you tonight, you two-faced bastard!" I cried. Harry wrapped his arm around me; leading me away and pulling my mind back to our goal.

There were Death Eaters everywhere and just as many students, many of them dragging or carrying injured friends. Harry tried to send a spell at a Death Eater, but it missed and nearly hit Neville. Maybe it would be best to not try to fight as we ran. Two bodies fell from overhead; a grey blur briskly ran to them as they reached the ground, sinking its teeth into one of the fallen.

"NO!" I shrieked, sending a fierce curse at him, sending him flying off of the feebly struggling Lavender Brown and into a wall. As he struggled to get to his feet, one of Trewlany's crystal balls was cast onto his head and he crumpled to the ground and did not move. Suddenly, the front doors burst open, an army of giant spiders sending Death Eaters and Hogwartians running.

"No! Don't hurt 'em!" Hagrid shouted, running toward the giant black fleet.

"HAGRID!" Harry shouted as Hagrid was swallowed by the giant black mass, which now retreated toward the Forbidden Forest.

"HARRY!" I shouted, running after him, intercepting any spell sent his way. We made it out of the school, but I couldn't see Hagrid anywhere, and I doubt Harry could either. His pace decreased as he came to a stop, staring ahead into the unceasing darkness. The air around me seemed to freeze, my own breath solid in my chest. Shapes moved in the darkness, moving in a great wave toward the castle, but they weren't spiders crawling on the ground…

"_Expecto Patronum_!" I shouted, a silver wolf emerging from my wand, charging into the darkness, consumed in seconds. "Harry, cast a patronus!"

A hundred dementors were advancing toward us, sucking their way closer, bringing only hopeless despair. How many others had died that I had not known about? _No, think happy thoughts!_ I thought of Hermione and Ron and their blissful love, their petty arguments over Crookshanks. I thought of my mother, singing to me as she combed my hair, her touch so gentle. I thought of Sirius and his mischievous grin, how he showed me his memories. I thought of Dumbledore, who had always had the answers, his blue eyes sparkling over his half-moon spectacles. I thought of the Weasleys, always so warm and kind, treating me as their own when I had no one else. I thought of Harry and the moment I met him, those adorable moments when I could tell his mind had gone blank except for thoughts of me. Even now, with his wand trembling in his hand, impending doom on the horizon, our time together running out-

"Harry, I'm still here! We're still here- we're fighting. We're alive- together!"

There was a silver spark, then, a wavering light that grew strong and bright, a great stag erupting from his wand, chasing away the dementors. As I stared, Harry threw the cloak over us, took my hand, and ran toward the Whomping Willow. I ran faster than I had ever moved in my life, ignoring the jets of light flying around me in the darkness.

We came to a stop before the slashing branches. With a flick of my wand, the tree froze in place, but Harry did not move toward the tunnel.

"Harry, come on!" I shouted, pulling him after me. We crawled through the tunnel, our wands lighting the way, until the end came into sight. When I came to the end of the tunnel, I heard the muffled voices of Voldemort and Snape. I froze in place, realizing they were not twenty feet from me. A crate blocked the tunnel, but I could see the snake nearby. I froze, but Harry kept crawling, shimmying beside me under the cloak. We lay wedged in the small opening, staring in silence at the scene before us.

"M- my lord? I do not understand. You have performed extraordinary magic with that wand- tonight, alone," Snape said.

"No," Voldemort replied, "I have performed my usual magic. I am extraordinary, but this wand does not work for me. It has made no difference"

Snape did not speak, but Voldemort had begun to move around the room.

"You're a clever man, Severus, surely you must know. The wand will not serve me because I did not kill its last master. You are the one who killed Dumbledore. You have been a good and faithful servant, Severus, but while you live, the Elder Wand cannot truly be mine"

"My Lord-"

Voldemort swiped the air with his wand. Snape stood there frozen, but not because of a spell. In a moment, Voldemort's intentions became clear when Nagini began to slither out of his magical cage.

"Nagini- _kill._"

I watched in horror as the snake lunged at his neck, the red of his blood bright against his white skin.

"Come, Nagini," Voldemort said, sweeping from the room without a backward glance, the great snake following him as they disappeared.

"Harry," I whispered, causing him to open his eyes. He was biting down on his knuckles to keep from crying out in pain, blood dripping down his fist. He lifted the crate with his wand and moved it out of the way. Harry climbed out first, running to Snape's side as I climbed out of the tunnel. The man dying before me had been cruel to Harry, had killed Dumbledore, but for some reason, I found myself wanting to help him. Harry was already kneeling by my side, his hand pressed against Snape's wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Take… them…" Snape said to Harry, his voice gurgling and strained.

"Jenny, give me something! A flask- anything!" Harry said urgently. I reached into my pouch and took out a small glass vial, handing it to Harry. He pressed the opening against Snape's cheek, capturing his silvery blue tears.

"Look… at… me…" Snape said, his hand gripping onto Harry's sleeve. "You have… your mother's… eyes," for a moment, they held each other's gaze, and then something seemed to vanish from his eyes, his hand falling to the floor.


	25. Snape's Memories

Harry's POV

I remained at Snape's side, holding his bleeding neck in one hand and the flask in another. Suddenly, a high cold voice spoke so close that I thought that Voldemort had returned into the room, and I jumped to my feet. His voice seemed to reverberate inside of my head, and it seemed to be in Jenny's, too, as she was kneeling on the ground with her hands over her ears.

"You have fought," Voldemort said, "valiantly. Lord Voldemort values bravery. You have suffered great losses. If you continue to resist, you will die one by one. I do not with this to happen- every drop of magical blood spilt is a great loss; therefore, I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour to dispose of your dead with dignity and treat your injured… Harry Potter, I now speak directly to you. You have allowed your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait in the Forbidden Forest for one hour. If you do not come to me to confront your fate, then the battle shall recommence. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, and I will kill every last man, woman, and child who tries to conceal you from me. One hour."

"It'll be alright, Harry," Jenny said, "let's get back to the castle. We'll find Ron and Hermione. We'll think of something"

As we climbed back into the tunnel, I wondered if she could still hear Voldemort's words ringing in her head like I could.

_You have allowed your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait in the Forbidden Forest for one hour… One hour. _

The castle was unnaturally silent, no students or Death Eaters, no flashes of light, no screaming. The floor was stained with blood, the emeralds from the hourglass scattered across the floor.

I followed Jenny as she led me to the Great Hall. The room was crowded with injured students laying on the tabletops while others treated them; the deal lay in a row in the middle of the hall. I couldn't see Fred's body because his family surrounded him. Without a word, Jenny ran up to Ginny, her face swollen and blotchy, and hugged her. She pulled away slowly, turning to look down at George as he wept over Fred's peaceful-looking form.

Jenny's face was as white as marble, and probably as cold if I were to touch it. I tore my eyes away, unable to see anyone else who had died for me. I turned and ran, not able to bear seeing the looks on their faces any longer. I wish I could rip out my heart- anything to stop this feeling, this screaming inside of me.

"Password?" the gargoyle asked as I approached the headmaster's office.

"Dumbledore!" I shouted without thinking, because it was whom I wanted to see right now, more than anything. To my surprise, the gargoyle allowed me to pass up the spiral staircase. Once inside, I saw that every painting had emptied itself, none of them had remained to see me. I looked hopelessly at Dumbledore's frame, and then turned my back on it and approaching the pensieve. As I poured Snape's memories into the pensieve, the memories swirled, silver and strange and, without hesitating, I dived in.

Two girls were swinging in a playground, back and forth, as a skinny boy watched them from the bushes. His black hair hung like curtains around his pallid face and his clothes were old and shabby beneath his overlarge coat.

"Lily, don't do it!" the elder girl shouted as the younger swung higher and higher, but the girl had already let go of the swing and was flying high in the air. She quite literally flew, launching toward the sky with her eyes full of laughter, soaring like a trapeze artist, landing far too lightly.

"But I'm fine! Tuney, look at this- watch what I can do," the girl said, holding a flower bud in the palm of her hand. Petals grew from the small green bud, opening and revolving, floating in her hand.

"Stop it! You- you _freak_!" the sister said, stepping away from the girl.

"You're not a freak," the boy said, walking out from the bushes, "You're a witch."

"Come on, Lily," the sister said, a cross between frightened and disapproving, but the girl did not move, she only stared at the strange boy. The older girl ran, the younger remained where she stood, the lone flower floating in her hand as she stared at the boy under the tree.

The scene melted, Lily and Snape now lying by water under the shade of a tree.

"Severus," Lily whispered, a little smile twisting on his face as she said his name, "It is real, isn't it? Hogwarts?" Lily asked.

"It's real for us, but not for her. We'll get our letters, when we're eleven," the boy said, looking oddly impressive for a boy with a bad haircut and odd clothes.

"And will it really come by owl?" Lily whispered.

"Normally, but you're muggle-born, so someone from the school might come by to explain it to your parents"

"Does it make a difference, being muggleborn?"

Snape hesitated, his black eyes moving over her pale face, her dark red hair.

"No," he replied, "it doesn't make any difference."

The scene dissolved, taking me onto the Hogwarts Express as Snape entered a compartment where Lily sat, her face pressed against the windowpane.

"I don't want to talk to you," she said. It was clear she had been crying.

"Why not?"

"Tuney hates me now"

"So what?"

"So- she's my sister!"

"She's only a-" he stopped himself, but she hadn't heard him, as she was too busy wiping her face with her sleeve. "But this is it! We're going to Hogwarts!" Snape gained confidence at her smile, "You'd better be in Slytherin"

"Slytherin?" one of the other boys in the compartment, who showed no interest in them until this point, turned at the word. I realized, as I had been too focused on Snape and my mother, that he was my father: slight, black-haired, and with an air of having been well cared for, which Snape greatly lacked. "Who'd want to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave if I was put in there, wouldn't you, Sirius?" James asked the boy lounding on the seats opposite him.

"My whole family's been in Slytherin," he said without smiling.

"Blimey- and I thought you seemed alright!" James said. Sirius grinned.

"Maybe I'll break the tradition. What house do you want to be in?"

James lifted and invisible sword, "Gryffindor, like my dad! Where dwell the brave at heart!"

Snape made a small disparaging noise.

"Got a problem with that?" James asked, turning on him.

"No, if you'd rather be brawny instead of brainy-"

"Where do you hope to go, seeing as you've got neither?" Sirius interjected. James roared with laughter, but Lily was not so amused.

"Come on, Severus, let's find somewhere else to sit," she said, leading him out of the compartment. James tried to trip Snape as he passed.

"See ya, Snivellus!" a voice called as the door slammed.

The scene dissolved once more, leaving me standing in the Great Hall as Lily walked up to be sorted.

"Gryffindor!" the hat shouted as it touched the dark red hair. Harry let out a small groan as Lily ran to the Gryffindor table where she sat down next to a blonde girl, turning her back on Sirius, who sat not far from her. She caught Snape's gaze and gave him a sad sort of smile as the Gryffindors welcomed her to their house.

I watched as Lupin, Pettigrew, and my father joined the other Gryffindors. When there were only a handful of unsorted students left, Snape was called up.

"Slytherin!" the hat cried as it touched his head. Snape walked toward the other side of the hall, away from Lily, to where Lucius Malfoy, a prefect badge gleaming on his chest, patted Snape on the back as he sat down beside him.

The scene changed, and now Lily and Snape were walking in the castle's courtyard, arguing. I hurried to catch up with them, and as I did, I realized how much taller they were, that a few years must have passed.

"…thought we were supposed to be friends?" Snape said, "best friends?"

"We are, Sev, but I don't like the people you hang out with. I'm sorry, but I detest Avery and Mulciber and _Gaunt_! What do you see in him, Sev? Do you know what he did to Michelle?"

"That was nothing-"

"It was _evil_, and if you think that stuff is funny-"

"What about the stuff Potter and his mates do?" Snape demanded, unable to hold in his resentment.

"What's Potter got to do with anything?" Lily asked.

"They sneak out at night- there's something off about that Lupin- where does he keep going?"

"He's ill is all-"

"Every month at the full moon?" Snape said.

"Why are you so obsessed with them, anyway? What do you care what they're doing at night?"

"I'm just trying to show you they aren't as wonderful as everyone seems to think they are," he said, the intensity of her gaze making him blush.

"They don't use dark magic," she dropped her voice, "and you're being really ungrateful. I heard what happened the other night. You went sneaking down near the whomping willow and James saved you-"

"Saved?" Snape's face curled up, "_Saved?_ You think he was playing hero? He was saving his own neck- and his friend's, too! I won't let you-"

"Let me? _Let me?_"

Lily's bright green eyes narrowed into slits.

"I know James Potter is an arrogant toerag," she said, "I don't need you to tell me that, but your friends' ideas of humor is just plain evil. Evil, Sev. I don't understand how you can be friends with them."

I doubt he heard anything she said, not after she insulted James Potter. The moment she called him an arrogant toerag, Snape's whole body relaxed and he walked with a new spring in his step.

The scene faded and I was now standing before the beech tree as Snape wandered toward it. I kept my distance, knowing what happened after James hoisted Snape in the air by his ankle and taunted him and I didn't want to hear it again… I watched as Lily ran toward the Marauders and went to Snape's defense. Snape shouted at her in his humiliation and rage, the unforgiveable word: mudblood.

The scene changed again. This time I was outside the Gryffindor common room.

"I'm sorry"

"I'm not interested"

It was nighttime and Lily stood in her dressing gown, her arms folded across her chest, showing no weakness.

"I only came out here because Michelle said you were threatening to sleep out here"

"I did and I would- I never meant to call you a mudblood, it just-"

"Slipped out?" there was no pity in her voice, "it's too late. I've made excuses for you for years. None of my friends understand why I even talk to you. You and your little Death Eater friends- see, you don't even deny it! You don't even deny that you plan to become one of them! You just can't wait to join You-know-who, can you?"

He opened his mouth, but no words came.

"I can't do this anymore. You've chosen your path and I've chosen mine."

"No- listen- I didn't mean-"

"-to call me a mudblood? You call everyone who's a muggleborn a mudblood, Severus. Why should I be any different?"

He struggled to speak, but she turned and climbed back through the portrait hole without a glance.

The scene shifted again, this time to a dark hilltop. Snape was older, now, as he stood with his wand out looking more frightened than I had ever seen him. Suddenly, he fell to his knees and his wand flew from his hand.

"Don't kill me!"

"That is not my intention," Dumbledore said, looking merciless as he stood with the wind blowing his cloak back. "What message does Voldemort have for me?"

"No message- I'm here for my own reasons! I come here with a warning- no- a request- please-"

"What request could a Death Eater have for me?"

"The prophecy- Trewlany-"

"Ah, yes," Dumbledore said, "how much did you tell Voldemort?"

"Everything! That's why- he thinks it's her- Lily Evans!"

"The prophecy isn't about a woman, it's about a boy born at the end of July-"

"Yes, but he thinks it's her son- he's going to kill them!"

"If she means so much to you, surely Voldemort would spare her if you asked?"

"I have asked-"

"You disgust me," Dumbledore said with disdain, "you don't care that her husband and child would die? They can be killed so long as you have what you want?"

"Hide them, then. Hide them all- keep her- them- safe. Please." Snape croaked.

"What will you give me in return, Severus?"

"Anything."

The hilltop faded and I was standing in Dumbledore's office. Snape was aghast, slumping against a wall, his face looking as if he'd lived a hundred years of misery since the hilltop.

"I thought… you were going to… keep her safe…"

"She and James put their faith in the wrong person," Dumbledore said, "the boy survives." Snape's head jerked toward Dumbledore. "Her son lives. He has her eyes, you know. You remember Lily Evans's eyes, I am sure. If you loved Lily, truly loved her, then your way forward is clear."

Dumbledore's words seemed to take a moment to sink in, Snape's mind clouded by pain.

"He does not need protection- the Dark Lord is gone-"

"But he will return and Harry Potter will be in grave danger when he does."

There was a long pause as Snape slowly regained control of himself, his breathing returning to normal. "Very well, but never tell. This must between us! I can't bear anyone- especially Potter's son- I want your word!"

"My word, Severus, that I shall never reveal the best of you?" Dumbledore sighed, Snape's face ferocious and anguished, "If you insist."

The office disappeared, but reformed quickly to another point in time. Snape was pacing before Dumbledore, muttering crossly.

"…arrogant like his father, rule-breaker, pig-headed, attention-seeking, impertinent-"

"You see what you wish to see, Severus. Other teachers see the boy as modest, likeable, and talented. Personally, I find him quite engaging. Keep an eye on Quirrel, too, won't you?"

The scene dissolved until we stood in the hall, a few students wandering away from the Yule Ball.

"Karkaroff's mark is becoming darker, too. He's panicking; you know how much he helped the ministry after the Dark Lord fell. He plans to run if he returns."

"Are you going to join him?" Dumbledore asked.

"No," Snape said, "I am not such a coward."

"No," Dumbledore agreed, "you are far braver than Karkaroff. You know, sometimes I think we sort too soon…"

And now I was back in Dumbledore's office. It was nighttime and Dumbledore was in his chair, his arm dangled over the side, his hand black and burned.

"Why did you put on the ring? It carries a curse, you must know, you shouldn't have even touched it. The girl, yes, but-"

"I was a fool, sorely tempted…"

"Tempted by what?"

Dumbledore didn't answer.

"It's a miracle you even survived," Snape said, irritated.

"How long do I have?" Dumbledore asked as casually as the weather.

"A year at most. You're lucky the girl was there- if she weren't-"

"I am aware, Severus. This only makes the situation more forward"

Snape looked utterly baffled.

"I am referring to Voldemort's plan to have that poor Malfoy boy murder me. I've asked Jenny to look into it- she'll try to help him and, if he does as I expect, he will refuse her. Still, I cannot offer help myself, the Dark Lord will surely know, which will only put him in more danger. However, there is only one outcome that will ultimately safe the boy."

"You're going to let him kill you?"

"Of course not- you must kill me."

There was a long silence before Snape gave a small grim nod.

"Thank you, Severus."

Suddenly, Snape and Dumbledore were strolling through the deserted corridors by twilight.

"You trust him more than you trust me," Snape said.

"It is not a question of trust. I, as we both know, have limited time, and I quite prefer to keep my secrets in one basket- preferably not one that is so often hanging off of Voldemort's arm."

"Which I do on your orders!"

"And you do it extremely well. I know full well the danger you place yourself in, giving Voldemort what appears to be valuable information while withholding the essentials. I would only entrust you with such a task"

"Yet you confide in a boy who can't even close his own mind to him!"

"Voldemort fears that connection. He possessed Harry and experienced a pain beyond any he's dreamed of. He will not try it again, I am sure of it."

"I don't understand."

"Voldemort's soul cannot bear to be with a soul like Harry's-"

"Souls? We're talking about minds!"

"In Harry's case, to speak of one is to speak of another," Dumbledore looked around to make sure they were alone. I had to move closer, inches away, in order to hear. "Harry must not know until the last moment- when Voldemort is at his weakest- and you must give him this information then and only then. On the night Voldemort tried to kill Harry, when Lily cast herself between them, the curse rebounded and a fragment of Voldemort's soul latched onto the closest living thing. Part of Voldemort lives inside Harry, this is why he can talk to snakes; has a connection with Voldemort that he cannot understand. While that part of Voldemort's soul lives in Harry, Voldemort cannot die."

"So… the boy must die?

"And Voldemort must do it himself, Severus. It is essential."

"I thought we were protecting the boy! All this time you've been raising him like a pig for slaughter!"

"Don't tell me you've grown to care for the boy?"

"For _him_?" Snape shouted. "_Expecto Patronum_!"

From the tip of his wand burst a silver doe, bounced off of the walls and soared out of the window. Dumbledore watched her fade away and when he turned back Snape's eyes were full of tears.

"After all this time?"

"Always."

Now we were in the headmaster's office, but Dumbledore was not there in person, but in a portrait.

"Give Voldemort the correct date of Harry's departure, to avoid suspicion, but you must make sure there are decoys. Confund Mundungus Fletcher. If you are forced to be a part of the chase, play your part convincingly, I won't have the school be left in the mercy of the Carrows"

The scene shifted and Snape was on a broom by moonlight, flying after Lupin and George, who had taken a potion to look like me. A Death Eater raised his wand, aiming it directly at Lupin.

"_Sectumsempra!_" Snape shouted. The spell, however intended for the Death Eater, missed and hit George instead.

The scene shifted and Snape was in the headmaster's office again, but this time he sat behind the desk.

"Don't forget that Harry must not know that you gave it! If Voldemort should read Harry's mind and see you helping him-"

"I know," Snape said, swining open Dumbledore's portrait, revealing a hidden compartment which held the sword of Gryffindor. "And you still won't tell me why it's so important Potter get the correct sword? Why the girl nearly died trying to retrieve the copy?"

"No," Dumbledore said, "he will know what to do with it. And Severus, be very careful, they may not take kindly to you after George Weasley's mishap-"

"Don't worry Dumbledore," Snape said, turning at the door, "I have a plan…"

Snape left the room and I rose from the pensieve, standing in the very same room; Snape might have just closed the door.


	26. Open at The Close

Jenny's POV

The reality of Voldemort's words pressed into me as I saw the truth in it. Before me lay the countless bodies of those who had fought so valiantly- my friends who had died for those who still stood in the Great Hall. I knew, as I replayed his words, what Harry had decided to do.

I left the Great Hall, my heart pounding in my ears as I saw Neville and Olliver Wood carrying more bodies up the stairs and into the Great Hall. I walked down the stairs, feeling as if I had to keep moving or else every fiber of my being would fall apart. Crouched against a wall sat a girl a couple of years younger than me, her leg broken and bleeding, her face scuffed and her hair snarled up. She was crying, whimpering almost, as she held her leg.

"Hey," I whispered gently as I approached her, "it'll be alright."

Even as I said the words, they felt useless and empty, but I knew I had to say them, because they were meaningful to her.

"I want to go home," she whispered as I took her hand, "I don't want to fight anymore."

"I know," I cooed, ripping the hem of her skirt to tie it above her wound, "you'll be okay, I promise."

I froze when I heard someone walk past me. If it were Neville, he would be with Olliver and they'd be carrying someone, but this person walked alone.

"Harry!" I shouted, rising to my feet when he stopped. He turned slowly, as if he were afraid he wouldn't be able to have the strength to keep walking once he saw me. I stood there a moment, knowing it would be easier if I didn't take that step toward him. He looked at me as if he were trying to burn my image in his mind, his eyes searching my face hungrily, as though he would never be able to look at me enough.

Before I knew it I was in his arms.

"After me, it's the snake, and then it's just him," Harry said. As I pulled back to look at him, the words _be safe_ hung from my lips. I realized how foolish it would sound, but I didn't know how to not say it. Nothing was right. Harry was going to go to the forest to be killed by Voldemort. "Jenny, I-"

"I know, Harry," I whispered, burying my face against his shoulder.

"Jenny, I love you," Harry said, his voice barely a whisper, but I had heard him as if he had screamed the words.

"I love you, Harry," I looked steadily into his eyes, trying to say more with my eyes than I could with my words.

Watching him walk away was the hardest thing I've ever done, but I knew I couldn't ask him to stay; it would be selfish and irresponsible. We both had our roles to play; it just so happens that I have to play mine a bit longer than his. I would be joining him soon enough, but not before I witnessed Voldemort's final breath.

I turned back to the injured girl, wrapping her arm around my shoulder and helping her into the Great Hall.

"I want my mum," she said, her lip trembling as I sat her down at a table.

"Me too," I said softly and I began to sing. To know that those comforting words my mother had sung to me all those years ago was helping this girl made me feel stronger.

I turned and left the Great Hall once more, wandering aimlessly until I was alone. It was eerie in the halls, the portrait frames empty, the entire castle still in its ruined state. I stood in the silence and looked at the ring on my hand, the familiar triangular eye symbol staring up at me as I slid the ring off. I dug deep into my memories, thinking of them as I turned the stone in my hand. I pictured the photo of Remus, Meghan, James, Lily, Sirius, and Michelle under a tree beside the black lake, of Sirius as he handed me the worn photo of the Order of the Phoenix, of Sirius and Michelle laughing…

"Jenny," a gentle voice as light as wind called my name. I opened my eyes and saw four figures standing before me, neither ghost nor flesh.

The similarity between James and Harry was uncanny; they were the same height, they had the same tousled black hair, the same handsome face and the same slightly lopsided glasses. Lily's eyes were the exact same color and shape as Harry's and her long dark red hair fell over her shoulders as she smiled at me. Sirius was tall and handsome, standing with his hands in his pockets and a grin on his youthful face. Michelle's smile was widest of all, her long blonde hair held in gentle curls that rolled off of her shoulders as she drew close to me, her arm outstretched, but as I raised my hand to meet hers, it passed through as if she were nothing but air.

"My daughter, you've grown so much. I'm so very proud of you."

I felt as if I could stand there and look at her forever, but I remembered I had a reason I had called them.

"Harry's gone to the forest," I said to them, not sure whether they already knew or not. Had they been watching over us all these years, or were they merely projections from my own mind?

I stared at them; hoping one of them would say what came next.

"I don't know what to do- I'm scared," the words had fallen from my mouth before I could stop them.

"Whatever you decide, we're here for you."

"Go to Harry," I said, sounding more sure of myself as I went on, "Stay with him. He has to know he's never alone."

And with that, they left in a swift silver billow.

/

Harry's POV

As I walked through the forest, I realized it was eerily still just as the castle had been. Not a single living creature was in sight and for a moment I wondered if I would be able to find Voldemort at all in a forest so large.

Suddenly, there was movement in the distance. A silver patronus sped toward me, gliding through the air swiftly before coming to a stop before me. I watched as the silver wolf dispersed into the air, becoming the ghost-like figures of my deceased family. They looked like they had stepped right out of their photos- they were all young and happy as if Voldemort had never crossed their paths.

"I never meant for you to die- any of you"

"We know, Harry," Lily said gently.

"Jenny sent us," Michelle said, her voice showing great resemblance to her daughter's.

"You'll stay with me, then?" I asked.

"Until the end," James said with a reassuring smile.

"They won't be able to see you?"

"We're a part of you," Sirius said, pointing to my heart.

It was like my feet knew where I was meant to go, a sort of courage in my step as they followed by my side. As I walked, my memories seemed to rush forward with every step.

"_You can't apparate because you haven't passed the test yet, Fred," Mrs. Weasley snapped, taking Fred's dish from him and scrubbing it in the sink. I took a drink from my cup, the Weasleys' bickering was rather enjoyable compared to the Dursley's. "It's nearly time to go- where are those- ah, here they come…" _

_It was then I realized that someone had entered the kitchen- someone I had never seen before. _

"_Hello," the girl said, beaming down at me with brilliant aquamarine eyes. Somehow, Ron had failed to mention her._ _I smiled, but in my panic I had forgotten to swallow. Thankfully, she was merciful and refrained from laughing. "I'm Jenny."_

"_I'm Harry, Harry Potter," I said, willing myself to stop blushing. _

_/\/\/\/\_

"_Sorry, sorry," she said, rubbing her head as I gathered her books._

"_It was my fault, I should have been paying more attention," I said, finally looking up to see who I had run into. "Jenny?"_

This is my chance! Okay, just like I practiced. Stay calm. Okay, she's looking at me- breathe. Remember to breathe.

"_Um…" she said, "I've got to go- this way"_

She's leaving! Wait- wait- her books- she left her books-

"_Wait- your books!" I ran after her, handing the books to her. _

"_T-thanks," she said, stuttering slightly, her cheeks burned red as she turned away_

"_Wait!" I called- she stopped. "Are…" _What was I going to say? Oh- _"Are you going to the ball?"_ Of course she's going to the ball!

"_I haven't said yes to anyone, if that's what you're asking," she said abruptly. _

"_Oh, right," _she doesn't sound like she wants to go with me- I hadn't considered that.

"_I _would_ go, however, if you asked"_

"_Great! Great! Okay, well, I'll see you!" I waved, grinning foolishly. I didn't care that I looked like a complete nut, because Jenny was smiling back at me. _

_/\/\/\/\/\_

"_Harry, Jenny's here," Adrienne whispered. I looked up to see the most beautiful girl I had ever seen standing at the top of the staircase. Her cascading golden hair was held in gentle curls, her long red dress hugging her curves perfectly, and her eyes bright against her long lashes as she gazed into my eyes as if we were the only two souls in the room. It was only when I received a jab in the ribs that I realized she was waiting for me to approach her. _

"_Hey," I breathed, coming to meet her at the foot of the stairs. For a minute I wondered whether I had spoken at all. _

"_Hey," she replied with a brilliant smile. _

"_You're, I mean, you, er, look great," I said, my cheeks growing hot. _

"_You don't look too bad yourself," she said, her face turning as red as her dress. _

"_I, well, I didn't give you your Christmas present yet," I said as I pulled out the necklace I had gotten for her, the rubies matching the dress and the gold with her hair. _

"_Harry, you didn't have to-" _

"_I know"_

_I watched a smile grow on her face and knew instantly that the necklace had been worth every galleon._

_/\/\/\/\_

_As the seaweed thinned I realized why Jenny had been absent before the task began- she was the treasure they had taken from me. She floated ahead of me, a rope tied around her ankle, holding her in place. She appeared to be asleep: her eyes were shut, the only movement was their hair billowing around her and a small trickle of air bubbles coming from her mouth. I swam toward her, resting my hand on her cheek to make sure she was still warm. She felt fine, but her skin glowed a ghostly pale green under the water. I needed to get her to the surface- fast. _

_/\/\/\/\_

_Suddenly, Dudley was thrown off his feet, apparently having received a blow to the face. I couldn't help myself from cracking up as he scrambled to his feet, his goons already running away. Jenny unveiled herself, looking unnaturally composed for having just punched someone twice her size. _

"_Nice right hook," I said. Then I noticed she was wearing the necklace I gave her last year and grinned even wider. I doubt my day could get any better than this. _

_/\/\/\/\_

_As I filled the glass with water, I heard the Dursleys talking to Jenny in the livingroom as she woke up. After the dementor attack I brought her back, but the only way I could make sure she could stay and be cared for was keeping the fact she was a witch from them. While she was unconscious, they had concocted some bizarre scenario that made Dudley the hero and me some sort of deranged lunatic (who was about to serve her chocolate). I walked into the livingroom to see Jenny sitting on the couch looking completely baffled. _

"_Sorry for pushing you. I'm a rather unstable and deranged boy. It's a good thing my cousin was there to put a stop to my madness, though it didn't go without sacrifice," I said, my lip twitching as I forced myself not to laugh. _

_/\/\/\/\_

_It was Jenny's sixteenth birthday and the twins had dragged her downstairs and into the dining room. She resisted at first, but after a terribly off key round of "Happy Birthday" she was beaming and cutting the cake. _

"_Harry, don't you want some?" she asked, noticing I was hanging back. _

"_Yeah Harry, don't you want some?" the twins broke into laughter as heat rose to my face at their innuendo. _

_/\/\/\/\_

_Jenny ran down the hall like a madwoman, a pig close at her heels. My eyes widened as I moved out of her way. She ran into the bathroom and shut the door behind her, locking us in. It turned out the twins had rubbed off on Jenny and it was all a prank on Ron, a.k.a. Mr. Piggy. We discovered, however, that Ron couldn't turn himself back. Surely, Ron would come after us when he did, and would find us locked in the bathroom together. Suddenly, the bathroom seemed to be very crowded, so we snuck out. I had a feeling she was having a right good time with this escapade. I wasn't too keen on a raging Ron chasing me through the house, but I didn't mind that she was pulling me along and hiding behind me, either. _

_/\/\/\/\_

_Jenny lingered by the mirror looking pensive as she read the articles stuck to it. She pulled out the photo of the original Order that Sirius had given her and stuck it to the mirror. She ran her finger over the smiling image of her mother. I understood how she felt, my own parents standing in the worn photo beside her mother and Sirius. Then, in one swift movement, our lips collided. _

_/\/\/\/\ _

"_Well? How do I look?" I asked as Jenny's eyes examined my face. _

"_I must say, Harry, I think I am able to take credit for your good looks, now," she smirked. All of the sudden I didn't mind that Malfoy had broken my nose. _

_/\/\/\/\_

_The warm light played with the shadows behind my eyelids. Jenny's voice spoke my name in a soft whisper. Her lips brushed against my nose as my lips moved. _

"_I love you"_

_I had been under the impression I was dreaming, but when I saw Jenny's face only inches from mine I nearly leapt from the couch. _

"_Jenny!" had she heard what I had said? Did I even say it? Why is she here? Oh, right, she was at detention. I had fallen asleep waiting for her. "What took so long? It's nearly- blimey!" it was nearly 2AM. _

"_I fell asleep in the Hospital Wing, just got here. It's a bloody miracle I didn't get caught" _

"_Who says you didn't?" I said with a mischievous grin, pulling her down onto the couch. _

_/\/\/\/\_

"_Sorry sir, I'm not usually late-" Jenny said as she walked into Slughorn's party. She was covered in a layer of dust, but she was still as stunning as ever. I shot to my feet as she sat down in her chair, only realizing after I had done so that no one else had moved to stand. _

_/\/\/\/\_

_As I stormed down the hall, I came to realize that it didn't matter that Jenny was sneaking around after Malfoy. If she said nothing was going on then I believed her. At this moment she could ask me anything and I would do it for her, because what I had said was true: I loved her. _

_And with that, I turned around and intercepted her under the mistletoe. _

_/\/\/\/\_

_Jenny said she'd give Ron a year to sort out his feelings for Hermione. I had to admit, it was starting to really put a damper on things, with him and Lavender and her with Cormac. _

"_Then I kick his ass," Jenny continued with a little preview kick. I snickered, amused by her feisty attitude. "Well, he needs a eye-opener! How rude he's been lately. It's like he's been brainwashed-" _

"_He's just oblivious, I suppose," I said. _

"_Are you kidding? He's a bloody- sod- git- twit- arse- prat-" _

_She seemed to be spontaneously firing out any British word she knew and I couldn't help but crack up. Only two years ago she had come here with an American accent and now she had this vast vocabulary of vulgar British slang. _

_/\/\/\/\_

"_Sirius was right, Jenny. You have your mother's heart," Lupin said as I approached Jenny, the firelight giving her skin a warm glow. She stood and followed me outside. _

"_So, how's your Christmas?" I asked absently, my mind wrapped around her reaction to the gift. Would she think it was too much? Not enough? What would she say? What if she didn't like it? _

_Suddenly, a ball of snow collided with my face, exploding around me in a mist. _This must be payback for not listening_. A smile slowly tugged at my lips- she ran. I picked up a handful of snow and threw it at her, hitting her in the back. She clawed at the snow, trying to make a snowball, but when it hit me it fell into a mist. _

"_No fair! How do you do that?" _

"_I've been practicing since our last fight," I grinned as I moved toward her. We laughed as we fell over and before I knew it we were rolling in the snow, finally stopping on our backs, looking up at the stars. If only we could just lay here and just forget the world. It's all I could ever ask for and more than I would ever get. Happily ever after isn't in the cards for me, but for her I'd do anything to make sure she got hers. _

"_Harry?" _

"_Yeah?" _

"_What are you thinking about?" _

"_I was thinking about how happy I am to be alive," I said, lacing my fingers through hers. _

/

Then I saw him. Voldemort stood in the middle of the clearing, his head bowed over the elder wand in his hands.

"No sign of him my lord," Dolohov said.

"I… I thought he would come…" Voldemort said. No one spoke. They seemed as scared as I did. I hid my wand with my invisibility cloak under my robes. I didn't want to be tempted to fight.

"It seems I was mistaken," Voldemort said.

"You weren't."

Everyone's eyes turned to me as I announced myself as confidently as I could. I saw the snake, but a thousand curses would hit me before I could even reach my wand. My eyes returned to Voldemort as he faced me, a smile curling on his lipless mouth.

"Harry Potter," he said softly, "The Boy Who Lived… come to die..."

I watched as Voldemort raised his wand. I saw his mouth move, a flash of green light, and everything was gone.


	27. The Girl Who Kept Fighting

Jenny's POV

"Jenny?" Hermione said, alerting me of her presence. I wondered how long she had been standing there. "What are you doing?"

"Just… saying goodbye," I said, wiping a tear from under my eye. She took a step forward, soon breaking into a sprint, and wrapped her arms around me. Before I knew it, the tears had come out on their own. I buried my face in her hair, hoping to hide my face. I didn't want anyone to see me cry, I wanted to be stronger than that. "I can't do this, Hermione… I'm not strong enough."

"Jenny," Hermione said, pulling back from me so I could see her face, "you are the strongest person I know."

"Hey," Ron said, coming over to us, "what's going on? Where's Harry?"

Looking into his face, the answer hanging off of my lips, I almost broke into tears again.

"He's gone," I said, taking a deep breath.

"What? You don't mean-"

"Ron, h- he's the last horcrux"

"What? How?"

"It's obvious isn't it? When Voldemort-" Hermione looked at me and stopped talking.

"So he's really gone?" Ron asked. I nodded.

/

Harry's POV

"My Lord-"

"I do not need assistance," Voldemort said coldly and, though I couldn't see them, I imagined Bellatrix withdrawing a helpful hand. "The boy… is he dead?"

No one moved toward me, but I could feel their gazes pressing me into the ground.

"You," Voldemort said, "see if he's dead."

Hands, softer than I expected, pressed against my chest where my heart pulsed. I didn't know whom it was, but my heart seemed to thump even louder.

"My son- is he alive? Draco?"

The whisper was barely audible, but her lips were so close to my ear that I heard her. Her hair was long, falling over his face to shield it from others' view.

"Yes," I breathed back.

Her hand withdrew from my chest.

"He is dead!"

The silence was gone in an instant- cheers and yells roared through the forest as they celebrated.

I understood, now. The only way Narcissa would be able to enter Hogwarts to find her son was if she were part of the conquering army. She didn't care about Voldemort.

"Harry Potter is dead by my hand- no one can threaten me now! _Crucio!_"

I had expected this- he wanted to humiliate and exploit my body to prove his victory. What I didn't expect was that it didn't hurt. My body flew and twisted in the air, but I felt no pain.

"Now- we go to the castle to show them what has become of their savior- their _hero_"

There was a fresh round of laughter.

"Pick up your little friend, Hagrid. He will be nice and visible in your arms."

As he carried me through the trees, it was all I could do to remain limp as branches scratched at my legs, Hagrid sobbing blindly above me. I wished there was some way I could let him know that all was not lost, but Voldemort was only a few feet away. Light began to turn the back of my eyelids red, alerting me that we were reaching the edge of the forest.

"Stop."

Someone passed close by me and I knew it was Voldemort, for he spoke only a moment later, his voice magnified so it reached the whole grounds.

"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself. The battle is won, my Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. Anybody who continues to resist will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared."

There was silence that seemed to last forever. Voldemort was so close I dared not open my eyes.

"Come," Voldemort said and Hagrid began to walk forward. I opened my eyes a fraction, enough to tell Voldemort was in front of me with Nagini, but I would have no chance of reaching my wand now. I shut my eyes again as Hagrid began to sob my name, worried he might notice or draw attention.

"Stop."

I heard the death eaters spreading out in a line facing the school. A reddish glow behind my eyelids meant that light was streaming from Hogwarts as the doors opened. Any moment now, the people for whom I had tried to die for would see me, lying apparently dead in Hagrid's arms.

"NO!"

I wanted nothing more than to call back, to let her know I was alive. Jenny's cry was like a trigger, the survivors screaming and yelling at the Death Eaters until-

"SILENCE!" Voldemort cried. There was a bang, a flash, and silence was forced upon them all. "It's over! Lay him at my feet, Hagrid, where he belongs!"

I felt myself being lowered to the ground.

"You see? Harry Potter is dead! He was never anything but a boy who allowed others to sacrifice themselves for him!"

"You're wrong!" Neville's voice broke through the charm, "Harry fought for us!"

"He was killed trying to flee, to save himself-"

Voldemort broke off: a scuffle, a shout, a bang, a flash of light, a grunt of pain. I opened my eye a crack to see a figure hit the ground, disarmed.

"You foolish girl," Voldemort laughed, "Yet it would be a waste to let such nobility go to waste. You will make a very valuable Death Eater-"

"The day I become a Death Eater is the day hell freezes over," Jenny said, her voice seething. "Do it, Voldemort. Kill me. Kill my family."

My blood raced- she was so reckless- what was she thinking?

I cracked an eye open and though I could not see Voldemort's face, I could see Jenny's. She was challenging him, her eyes boring into his unafraid.

"Very well," Voldemort said with more danger in his words than in the most powerful curse. "I suppose we'll have to go with your next option."

/

Jenny's POV

I had hoped he would follow through on his first threat, but he seemed to have skipped to another course of action- so would I.

Ebony flew overhead, dropping the sorting hat above me and into my hand. I reached in and pulled out the Sword of Gryffindor, drawing it down over Nagini. With a flash of its silver blade, the snake was destroyed, unleashing a scream of fury from Voldemort. I looked up to Voldemort, his eyes blazing dangerously as they glared down at me with fury.

Chaos reigned as my friends and teachers charged from behind me and Death Eaters either fled or fought. Giants and centaurs flew from the forest, scattering the Death Eaters. Theastrals soared from the sky, attacking Voldemort's giants' eyes. Death Eaters and Hogwartians alike retreated into the castle as creatures fought outside.

Voldemort raised his wand and I began to back up toward the doors. He shot spell after spell, but an invisible shield was blocking them. I held the sword in front of me as the shield cracked, one of his spells ricocheting off of the blade and sending me flying backwards. As I stood, I realized the fight was moving inside, Voldemort leading them as they stormed toward me. An army of house elves came to my rescue, cleavers and knives between their clenched fingers as they attacked the Death Eaters' legs.

I moved further into the castle, knowing that Voldemort was determined to make me his victim. I was the remaining female member of the Gaunt family line. I had destroyed the ring. I had killed Nagini. I had defied him. I loved Harry. I was going to do everything in my power to bring him down.

Until my last dying breath.

"Hermione!" I shouted, a spell ricocheting off of her shield and grazing my cheek. It was then I realized whom she was dueling.

Spells flew from my wand like never before as I stood beside Hermione and Luna, my eyes set on the treacherous man before me. He grinned madly, a manic glint in his eye as he fought us. I pressed in on him, my eyes blazing, and the image of my mother fueling my fire.

/

Harry's POV

Voldemort was in the center of the battle, trying to cut his way through the crowd to Jenny. I couldn't get a clear shot, so I fought through the chaos. I passed Meghan bringing down Dolohov, George and Lee bringing down Yaxley, Percy stunning Thicknesse, and Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy running through the crowd, ignoring the fighting, screaming for their son. I wove further, dodging spells, and saw Voldemort fighting Kingsley, McGonagall, and Slughorn while Jenny dueled her father one-on-one. Hermione and Luna stood behind her, but looked scared to intervene.

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" Mrs. Weasley yelled, drawing my attention to her as she leapt in-between Ginny and Bellatrix. Her wand moved with such skill, her wand slashing through the air. Bellatrix's eyes went wide and for a moment she knew what had happened.

Suddenly, McGonagall, Kingsley, and Slughorn were all blasted backward as Voldemort's lashed out in fury. I felt as if he turned in slow motion as he raised his wand toward Jenny who stood as if frozen in time, unaware of Voldemort's movement.

"_Protego!_" I roared, my shield charm creating a wall between them. Voldemort searched the room for the source as I pulled the cloak off at last.

"Harry!" Jenny shouted before the rest, their shouts echoing hers as they realized I was alive.

"No! Stay back," I said loudly, the room falling to silence as I spoke. "I don't want anyone to try to help. It's got to be like this. It's got to be me."

"He doesn't mean that," Voldemort hissed, "That's not how he operates, is it? Who's going to be your human shield this time, Potter?"

"Nobody, because this time it's just you and me. All of your horcruxes are gone. You won't be killing anyone else tonight or ever again. Don't you get it? I was ready to die to protect these people-"

"But you did not!"

"-But I meant to. My love is protecting them just like my mother's protected me"

"_Love_. That's Dumbledore's favorite solution. Love, which he claimed conquered death, though love didn't stop him from falling from the tower. Love, which didn't stop me from killing your mudblood mother. No one seems to love you enough to take this curse for you tonight, Potter. What's to stop you from dying this time?"

"You're wrong, Voldemort. You didn't bring about Dumbledore's death-"

"Dumbledore is dead! I have seen it! His body decays in the marble tomb on the grounds"

"Yes, he's dead, but he chose to die that way. Months before he arranged it with the man you thought was your servant-"

"_What_-"

"-Severus Snape wasn't faithful to you- he was faithful to Dumbledore all these years. He was loyal to him from the moment you turned on my mother and you didn't realize it because you aren't capable of love, are you?"

Voldemort didn't answer for some time. He only moved in a slow circle, his eyes locked with mine.

"It doesn't matter, because I killed Snape- the Elder Wand is mine! Dumbledore's final plan was flawed, Potter!"

"Yeah, it was, but before you try to kill me, just consider this. Think about what you've done. Try a little slice of remorse pie…"

"What the hell?"

Of all the things I had said, none shocked Voldemort more than this.

"Dumbledore's plan didn't backfire on me, Voldemort, it backfired on you"

Voldemort's eyes narrowed into slits as his fingers trembled around the Elder Wand, my own hand gripping Draco's wand tightly.

"Don't you see? Snape was never a master of the Elder Wand- they _arranged_ his death. The wand will never work for you, Tom, because I am the true master of the Elder Wand."

"_Avada Kadavra!_"

"_Expelliarmus!_"

I saw Voldemort's green jet meet my red one, saw the Elder Wand fly high in the air, dark against the breaking dawn, and spin across the ceiling toward the master it would not kill. I caught the Elder wand in my hand as easily as I would catch a snitch as Voldemort fell to the floor, his red eyes vacant and empty of life. Voldemort was dead, killed by his own curse. I stood with two wands in my hands, looking down at my enemy's shell.

After one shivering moment of silence, tumult broke around me, cheers rising into the warm morning sky. The first light glowed through the windows as my friends thundered toward me. Jenny was closest and reached me first, throwing her arms around me as she grinned. She might have been saying something, but the incomprehensible shouts deafened me. Ron and Hermione were next, surrounding me with their warmth and comfort. Then Luna, Neville, the Weasleys, and McGonogall. Hundreds of them pressed in on us, determined to congratulate the boy who lived and the girl who fought for him, the reason it was over at last.

The fierce sunlight expanded through the hall, filling me with a sense of optimism that radiated from me for the first time in a long time, with the sunrise.

/

Yes, it's happened. The beautiful tale of Jennifer Bennett has come to a close.

Well, not really. The story goes on from here, I just can't write about it right now (thanks to college).

Don't fret, because I may continue the story in the future. Maybe during a holiday break or something.

If you need to find it, it's going to be called After The Sunrise. I've actually already begun writing it, however, if I began to post it i'm worried I will either neglect my schoolwork or the story.

Until I begin posting After The Sunrise, I may create an "epilogue" as consolation, as JKR did with her 19 Years Later chapter. Take my poll to let me know what your thoughts are. Better yet, email me so I can get to know you and can write your username down as a VIP reader, who I will send special chapters and notices about the story before everyone else. Yes, that means that if you message me you will get to read the epilogue before it's posted.

Looking forward to it!

Love,

Jenny


	28. Epilogue

"Come on, come on!" the small sable-haired girl urged, pulling her mother's hand eagerly as they approached the great sooty station.

"Don't worry, the train wont leave without you," the blonde woman laughed with a gleam in her eye as she looked to her husband, who smiled in amusement, "now either let go of my hand or help push the trolley, Meg"

Meg let go of her mother's hand and turned to her male counterpart beside her, "Race you to the platform!"

Meg's brothers watched, her dark curls bouncing behind her, as she ran through the platform.

"She's a natural-born Gryffindor, she is," the older of the two boys said, leaning toward the younger boy so their parents couldn't hear. "As for you- i'm thinking Slytherin"

"I won't! I won't be in Slytherin!"

"Grow up, James," the oldest of the children said, her warm blonde curls catching the light before following her sister through the threshold.

"Loosen up, Micky"

"James, give it a rest," his mother said. James fell silent when he caught his mother's eye.

"I've got this one," The man said, kissing his wife before turning to his sons. James walked up to his mother and took the trolley, casting a slightly cocky look back at his little brother before breaking into a run.

"I thought you'd never get here!" the red-haired boy exclaimed as he embraced Michelle.

"Like I'd ever miss another year at Hogwarts with you, Fred," she rolled her eyes and went to board the train.

"Look who it is," a familiar voice drew Jenny's gaze toward the small red-haired family. Her face lit up as she gazed at her friends' happy complexions.

"Hi," Albus said, sounding immensely relieved, as he approached them. The young red-haired girl beamed at him, already in her brand-new Hogwarts robes.

"Remember, if you don't get sorted into Gryffindor we'll disinherit you, but no pressure," Ron said, but Rose and Albus didn't seem amused.

"He's kidding," Hermione and Jenny assured them, though Ron and Harry were too distracted to be a part of comforting them. Not twenty feet away stood Draco Malfoy and his wife, bidding goodbye to their son as he prepared to leave for Hogwarts.

"So that's little Scorpius," Ron said, causing Jenny and Hermione to look up. Upon realizing they were all staring at him, the blond man casting a small smile in their direction before sending his son onto the train.

"We're going to go now, bye Mum," Albus said, hugging his mother. He hugged his mother in turn as Rose said goodbye to her parents and brother. It wasn't long before the two of them had broken off and headed toward the great scarlet train.

"Don't let your brother wind you up!" Jenny said, watching as they disappeared behind Scorpius onto the train. "Don't forget to give Neville our love, James!"

"I can't give a professor _love_!"

"But you _know_ Neville"

James rolled his eyes, "But at school he's Professor Longbottom. I can't walk into Herbology and give a professor _love_"

"While you're there, give some to Aunt Meghan, too"

James made a sound groan, but seemed to have given in. He allowed his parents to hug him before picking up his guitar and hurrying toward the train, seemingly spotting one of his friends.

The four friends watched as their children left them, one by one, only little Hugo remaining at their side. Children's heads seemed to gather at the windows as faces, both on the train and off, turned toward Harry.

"Why are they staring?" Hugo asked.

"It's me. I'm extremely famous," Ron said.

Their laughter blended into the bright whistle of the scarlet train gliding away from them.

"They'll be alright," Jenny murmured to Harry.

Harry watched as Meg waved from a compartment with Albus, Rose, and Scorpius.

"I know they will."


	29. Continuation Author's Note

You guessed it! I'm back and ready to keep telling the tale of Harry and Jenny.

As you (hopefully) know, this is the order of their stories:

Brick By Boring Brick

Come Back To Me

Far Away

How Far We've Come

There are a lot of things I would change if I could, but it's already been out there and you guys are so attached to how things are (plus, i'm too lazy to rewrite all of that!) that i'm simply going nto continue and hope that I don't come across any holes or contradictions in the story (especially with my new ideas).

I'm going to reread what I started for After The Sunrise already, maybe revising it a bit, and then continue on with the story. In this story I am planning on filling in some of the blanks from Michelle (Jenny's mom) and Sirius' while Jenny and Harry's story continues to build.

Of course i'll have all that good Ron/Hermione stuff in there too. I'm actually quite looking forward to writing about those two! XD

Please rate/message so I know how many people are still interested in my story!

Thanks so much for being patient! (Or for simply holding in your impatience or however you dealt with the long wait)

You might be wondering why I have been so inactive. It's because i'm now in college (i'm taking Summer classes right now, too) and am basically working 364 days a year, so writing has been put in the backseat for a bit. I've just started rewatching the HP movies and I started getting all of these ideas for stories! (Not necessarily this one, but it got my attention focused on it)

In August i'll be gone all month on a trip to Ghana (Africa) through my university, so i'm not sure if that means i'll be writing a lot there and posting when I get back or if it means I will go back on hiatus and stop writing for a bit. Basically, I can't guaruntee anything, but I love writing, I love this story, and most importantly- I love my readers!

Here's the teaser for the series:

The Dark Lord has fallen and dark wizards and creatures alike have scattered. The Second Wizarding War is finally over- but is there something darker looking on the horizon? Will dark forces lay at bay or is something sinister brewing in the shadows?


End file.
